Dryad's Vault
by Shritistrang
Summary: Hiroshi and Daisuke are chosen to be the new Keepers of the Vault, a massive underground facility filled with hundreds of ancient, magical artifacts. Can the two boys cope with the responsibility and resist the temptation to misuse their newfound powers? Of course they can't. Nerima will be faced with irreversible changes and countless transformation shenanigans.
1. Enter the Vault

_Author's Notes_ _: This story is mainly a Ranma ½ fanfiction story and will mainly feature characters and locations from the Ranma ½ anime and manga. It will, however, also contain lots of crossover elements in the form of references to other series, cameos, guest appearances and even crossover characters that might play a somewhat important part in the story._

 _Also, it's been a pretty long time ever since I've last written a story, so I hope this will still enjoyable for you, the readers. If enough people let me know that they enjoyed this fanfic, I will continue to write for it. So please don't hesitate to leave your comment and tell me your opinions._

 _And now, let the story commence…_

* * *

A lone dryad was sitting beneath her favorite tree. She only wore her casual outfit, meaning nothing but a skimpy layer of leaves and vines. Her long, moss-green hair was flowing in the wind as she held a quill, writing something on the scroll that was placed on her lap.

"Vault Keeper assistant's journal," she muttered to herself. "It's been over a decade since the Vault lost its last Keepers. Ever since that day, I've been keeping an eye on security and making sure everything is still in place. Not that I'm worried about intruders… to reach this plane of existence, you need to know the proper spell. And the only remaining inhabitants of this place are some slimes and zombies, combined with the usual wildlife.

As for finding a new Keeper… I'm fairly certain I have found a new pair of candidates. They don't look like much… actually, they both appear to be pretty wimpy. But tradition says that this is exactly what a proper Vault Keeper must be like: Your average everyman. And those two are as average as they get. And everything they need is in here, I'm sure they'll do a passable job.

I'll be making the preparations for inviting them to the Vault right after writing this journal entry. My next report will be, as usual, after the next lunar cycle."

She signed the report with "June the dryad, Vault Keeper assistant", furled the scroll and placed a wax seal on it. Afterwards, she stood up on her bare feet and turned around to face the entrance to the Vault.

On first glance, it looked like nothing more than a simple wooden door, built into a piled-up mound of dirt. Vines were growing from the soft soil and covered most of the door, the surrounding trees of the grove also did a passable job of keeping the entrance hidden. June opened the door and entered a narrow tunnel leading straight ahead. Sticking to the dirt walls were several torches that cast the tunnel into dim, flickering light. The dryad followed the tunnel to its end, where a long rope was hanging down into a dark shaft. She held onto the rope and slid down, until she reached the bottom. Here, another pair of torches was flanking a bigger door, this one made completely out of solid iron. She pushed the door opened and stepped into complete darkness. Her hand reached for a small switch hidden to her right and flipped it, illuminating the whole area with the light of several bright lamps hanging from the ceiling.

June looked around the Vault. "Well," she said to herself. "It's been a while since I've had some company down here… I better tidy up the place before I begin the summoning ritual." She let out a deep sigh. "I really hope I'm not making a mistake here." She then shook her head. "I really should stop worrying. They really can't be worse than the last chosen one…"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the gates of Furinkan High School…

The school bell was ringing, classes were over for today. Hiroshi ran up to his friend Daisuke. "You got everything for tonight?"

"Sure have," Daisuke grinned as he showed the other boy several bags. "I bought the soda and the chips, and here's the newest zombie flick, just right for a late night of fun." With a smirk, he took a DVD case out of the bag, titled 'Blood Moon Rising'.

"You can never go wrong with zombies," Hiroshi chuckled. "I prepared my Playstation 4 with a collection of the best multiplayer games the console has to offer. Anything we're missing?"

"Well, a third guy would be nice," Daisuke said. "Didn't Ranma say he wanted to come, too?"

"Nah, he's busy escaping the latest scheme of his fiancees," Hiroshi sighed. "The guy just can't see how lucky he is… I wish I had four hot babes throwing themselves at me. Well, maybe not if they're as crazy as that Kuno chick."

"He gets to go on all those exciting adventures, too," Daisuke nodded. "Cursed springs, secret martial arts techniques, magical creatures… And what do we have? A normal, boring high schooler's life."

"At least we've got guy's night," Hiroshi tried to cheer up his pal. "That's something, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I just wish something exciting would happen to us once in a while."

And that's when the two of them disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

When the two boys reappeared, Daisuke almost lost his balance and quickly grabbed onto his friend's shoulder. Nervously, they looked around. But the only thing they could see was that they were in the middle of a dark and gloomy chamber.

"Hiro?" Daisuke whispered. "What happened to us?"

"I really don't know… but you did wish that something exciting would happen."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect it to be taken literally," he gulped nervously. "Where are we?"

Right after he said those words, a pair of enormous stone torches lit up in the back of the room. They could see now that they were standing in the middle of a rectangular chamber with pillars of marble to the left and right. Also, they were standing in the middle of a big circle of strange symbols on the ground. The whole place looked a lot like a temple in ancient Greece.

"What… what is this place?" Hiroshi asked.

"This is the Summoning Chamber," a powerful, female voice spoke up. "I have summoned you here, Hiroshi and Daisuke of Nerima!"

A tall, female figure then stepped forth from behind one of the torches. At first glance, she looked like a regular human girl, maybe a couple of years older than the two of them… except for her quite unusual clothing, that is. "I am June the dryad, and you have been selected to be the new Keepers." She spread her arms. "Welcome to the Vault!"

The boys blinked.

"The… Vault?" Daisuke asked. "What's the Vault?"

"And what do you mean, you summoned us here?" Hiroshi added. "Wait a minute…" His eyes widened. "Are you… naked?"

June felt a popping vein on her forehead. "Keep calm," she muttered to herself. "You've gone through this before." She took a deep breath and approached the confused duo. "I'm not naked," she said through clenched teeth. "I'm wearing the traditional attire of the dryads."

"Looks like a bunch of leaves and twigs to me," Hiroshi said. "What's a dryad, anyway?"

"My people are the tribe of the forest," June said. "But never mind that now. My duty is to be the assistant to every Keeper of this vault and I take my job very seriously. Now will you two step out of that summoning circle so I can show you around and give you instructions?"

"An assistant?" Daisuke asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, you know… like a moon cat, an exposition fairy or a dragon assistant. Something like that. Except, I'm a dryad."

"So you brought us here?" Hiroshi asked as they stepped out of the circle. "To be some sort of… keeper? What does that mean?"

"It means you are responsible for everything that happens to this place and every item and artifact that is stored inside," June explained. "You get to decide when to use the Vault's contents and on who. As long as the Vault is kept safe and none of the relics get lost, you can do whatever you deem appropriate."

"Relics? What kind of relics?" Daisuke asked.

"I will show them to you during the tour," June said. "Any other questions before I show you around?"

"Well, yeah," Daisuke nodded. "Why did you choose us? We're… nothing special."

"That's exactly the reason why you're perfect," the dryad explained. "The powers that be have decreed that the Keepers of the Vault have to be a couple of average persons with no special powers, no huge amounts of wealth and no exceptional social standings. No kings, no rich businessmen, no powerful wizards, warriors or martial artists, but also no poor homeless people, slaves or terminally ill hospital patients. Understood?"

"Well, I understand that those are the rules, but I'm not sure I understand the reasons…"

"You don't have to, that's what I am here for," June said. "I've been Vault Keeper assistant for 300 years now, that means I know everything there is to know about this place and this job."

"Wait, you're 300 years old?" Daisuke gasped as he stared at her.

"Did your mother never teach you not to stare at a lady?" June said in a huff. "It's impolite and rude. Yes, I'm 300 years old, even older than that. That's normal for a dryad. "Anything else?"

"I have a question." Hiroshi raised his hand. "Something I've been wondering for a while now… do we have to stay here? I mean, we have a home and family…"

"Don't worry, you don't have to stay here," June said. "There are quarters prepared for the new keeper with a bed and a bathroom, but you don't have to use it. You can always leave this realm using the summoning circle. It works in both directions. If you need to return, I can always summon you back. Just make sure to check in for at least one hour each day."

"I guess that's not too bad then," Hiroshi said. "One hour is not that much, and it's not like we have a ton of responsibilities back home, right, Dai?"

"I suppose not," his friend agreed. "So… what's this 'Vault' all about, anyway?"

"All right!" June said with a smile and clapped her hands together. "Let's start the tour then!"

* * *

Upon leaving the Summoning Chamber, they found themselves in a wide, long corridor with walls made of grey stone bricks. A big iron door was in the middle of each the left and right wall. Both doors were surrounded by several smaller, wooden doors. Everything was illuminated by lamps that hung from the ceiling.

"This is the central corridor of the Vault," June explained. "The two main chambers can be entered through those big doors, through the smaller doors are the living quarters, storerooms, crafting stations and the recreation room. The living quarters contain a bathroom with showers, a tub, a whirlpool and a toilet. The crafting stations include several workbenches with tools, a forge, an anvil, an alchemy station and a tinkerer's workshop. The door on the far end of the corridor leads to the entrance shaft which leads outside. Please inform me if you plan on exploring the wilderness surrounding the Vault, I cannot allow newbie keepers to get themselves killed during their first week on the job."

The boys gulped. "Is there something… dangerous out there?" Daisuke asked.

"During daytime, just a couple of slimes," June said. "But I wouldn't risk anything as long as you don't have at least a small amount of weapon training. If you're interested, let me know. I may be able to convert one of the storerooms into a training hall. Now, for the main event…"

The dryad stepped in-between the two iron doors and motioned the boys to follow her. Now that they were standing right next to them, they were able to read the signs above each of the two doors. The left one read 'Chamber of Orbs' and the right one read 'Chamber of Essences'.

June spread her arms. "These… are the main chambers of the Vault, the main reason it was constructed in the first place. Everything else is just a bonus. Stored in here are a huge amount of powerful, magical relics and substances. Your main job in here is to keep watch over them. Don't let them be damaged or even destroyed… it's very hard to do so in the first place, but not impossible. If you take any of them from their spot, make sure to return them within 24 hours."

"What happens if we don't manage to bring them back in time?" Hiroshi asked. "Will they be destroyed? Or won't we be able to bring them back anymore?"

June glanced at him. "No. You can still bring them back. It's just that there are certain rules that need to be followed. Security measures, you see? And everyone who breaks the rules… will have to answer to me! And trust me, boys, you do not want to see me angry."

"But… I thought you're supposed to be our assistant," Hiroshi protested.

"Yes, it is," June nodded. "My job is to help you… but the best way I can do that is by keeping a close eye on you and the relics. So make sure to bring them back in time… and we won't have a problem. Got it?"

The boys gulped again. "Yes, ma'am." Daisuke then whispered to Hiroshi: "She's really cute, but I have the feeling she'll get really scary once she gets mad." Hiroshi nodded in agreement.

"And just what kind of relics are these?" Daisuke asked.

"Ah." A big grin appeared on the dryad's face. "This is where the fun part begins. Come inside, boys." She opened the door to the Chamber of Orbs and stepped inside.

The boys quickly followed and found themselves in a gigantic underground hall with steel-enforced walls. From where they were standing, a lot of rows of small pedestals were going down the hall. And on each pedestal sat a small, glowing orb, each in a different color and about as big as an apple. There had to be at least hundreds of them in this underground vault.

"The Chamber of Orbs," June said, in a voice full of awe. "The artifacts contained here are the so-called class orbs. The forefathers – an ancient tribe of powerful wizards – once created this huge collection of transformation relics. Stored within each of the orbs lies the power of a fallen hero, each with their own class and abilities. Using these allows a person to perform a class change, exchanging all of their existing skills of abilities with those of the hero whose soul is dormant in this orb."

"Excuse me, but…" Hiroshi spoke up. "What's a class?"

"Good thing you asked. A class is what defines a hero. Some say you could also call it a job or profession, but if you ask me, those terms don't quite express what it truly means to be a hero of that class. A class defines the hero's abilities and talents, the skills and weapons he can use, the armor and clothing he usually wears and the experience that comes with it. The basic and most well-known adventurer classes are those of the warrior, the mage and the thief… but there are more, hundreds more, some of them derived from these three basic classes, others being something completely new."

"So what do we do with those orbs?" Daisuke asked. "Just watch them and make sure they don't disappear?"

"That's the most important task, but there's more to it," June said. "Being a Vault Keeper comes with the rights and privileges to keep the relics, but also to use them in any way they see fit. If you have the feeling that someone you know or meet should follow a different path, bring him or her a class orb. Let them change to a new class and let their new destiny unfold. If they decide to refuse, they have every right to do so. But only the Vault Keepers can decide who shall gain the right to a class change."

"I'm not certain I follow," Daisuke said. "Why should we let someone do this in the first place?"

June shrugged. "Maybe you know someone who's unhappy with his life? Or someone wants to try something new? Or maybe you meet someone who, in your eyes, does not deserve the position he's in. In each of these cases, a class orb might just be the perfect solution. Just remember to bring the orbs back to the Vault in time. Also, each orb can only be used once a month, so keep that in mind."

"Wow", Hiroshi muttered. "So I could take the orb of… um…" He took a quick look around the closest pedestals and read their inscriptions. "The orb of the… bard, for example, and bring it to a, say… martial artist. And then the martial artist can decide if he wants to be a bard from now on."

"That's the gist of it," June nodded. "If he agrees to the change, he will forget all the moves and attacks he ever learned as a martial artist. Instead, he will learn how to use all sorts of instruments and how to sing and play different songs. Understood?"

The boys nodded. At the moment, their minds were barely able to process everything the dryad had told them up to now. But one thing was crystal clear already: As Vault Keepers, they would not only have to deal with a lot of responsibility, they were also given the opportunities to make lots of changes in the lives of other people.

"Perfect!" June smiled. "Then let's take a look at the other big chamber of the Vault, the Chamber of Essences!"

The three of them went back into the corridor and stepped through the iron door on the opposite side. Behind it, they found a room that was almost identical in structure and size. Just like the Chamber of Orbs, it was filled with hundreds of pedestals. But it wasn't orbs that lay on them, this time around. Instead, on each pedestal stood a crystal bottle with an unidentifiable, colorful liquid inside. They were all corked tight and had labels on them.

Once again, June started to explain: "These bottles contain essences. An essence is, basically, every bit of information of the creature it was taken from, converted by magic into a liquid state."

"Um…" Daisuke scratched his head. "What?"

June sighed and took one of the bottles. "See this? Essence of fairy. This essence contains everything that makes a fairy, a fairy. If consumed, the essence of the selected creature will overwrite the previous essence inside that person's body. And not just that, it will completely, irreversibly replace it."

"I think I get it," Hiroshi spoke up. "If I let a bird drink this, that bird will be turned into a fairy. Is that right?"

"Close," June smiled. "The essences within the Vault only contain the information of sentient creatures. You can't turn anyone into a basic animal or mindless monster. And equally, animals and monsters will not be affected by drinking some essence. But a human could be turned into a fairy and vice versa, that's true." She made a sweeping motion across the room with her hand. "We have essences from all sorts of sentient creatures, magical and not magical, from Earth and dozens of other realms. Those over there are Mobian essences… next to them Equestrian… then Hyrulean… Azerothian…"

"But that's amazing!" Daisuke shouted. "Just think about all the awesome creatures we can turn ourselves into, Hiroshi. Just look here… essence of dragon!" He had a big grin on his face. But then it turned into an expression of worry. "But wait a minute… if there's only one essence of human, and we use that up… we won't be able to turn ourselves back to normal."

"Don't get ahead of yourselves," June said. "First of all, the essences within the Vault will never run out. As long as the bottles stay undamaged, the essence within will refill automatically each sundown. That means you can't 'use them up'. And one more thing." She looked at them very seriously. "A Vault Keeper can never, ever use any of the orbs and essences of the Vault on himself… at least not permanently."

"Why not?" the boys asked in surprise.

"That's part of the job," June shrugged. "When the forefathers created this Vault and the position of Vault Keeper, they made sure that the Keepers don't use the powers of the relics to escape their duties. Thus, every essence or orb used on a Vault Keeper will only keep them in that form for a limited time. After one day is passed, they will return to their original self. Their memories also won't be changed by consuming an essence."

"Memories?" Daisuke wondered.

"Ah yes, I forgot to mention: Unlike the orbs, the essences influence the core being of the person that consumes them. Not only will their self be replaced by that of a different creature, their memories will also be replaced. For example, if a human drinks essence of fairy, he will first transform into a fairy. Then the memories of his whole life will be replaced with memories of a life as a fairy. They will still know the same people and places, and most of their experiences will be the same… the only differences will be that everything will have happened from the viewpoint of a fairy. And it's not just their memories that will be changed, the memories of everyone he knows will believe that he has always been a fairy."

"So that means we must be extra careful with the essences, since they change even more than the class orbs," Daisuke realized. "And with no way of ever turning them back."

"Um, is that even ethical?" Hiroshi asked. "I mean, we're basically changing a person's life completely, with no chance of him ever getting his old life back! Isn't that a horrible thing to do?"

"Yeah, I agree," Daisuke nodded. "I don't want to be responsible for destroying someone's whole life."

June sighed. "Listen boys, I understand what you're saying. But as someone who's on this job for 300 years, let me tell you that you don't need to worry about this. Of course a changed person's life will be completely different… but will it really matter if no one remembers anything of his old life? Except for the Vault Keepers and their assistants, of course. So trust me when I tell you: You're not taking anything away from them. You're just giving them a new self that might even better suit them." She gave them a smile of confidence. "It's up to you, really. You don't have to use the essences on anyone, if you don't want to. But if you ask me, that's wasted potential. You are Vault Keepers, after all, and you have opportunities now. So why not use them?"

Hiroshi scratched his head. "Well, if you put it that way…"

Daisuke frowned. "I'm still not sure about this…"

"Then sleep on it," June suggested. "You don't have to agree right away. Give it some time and think about it some more. The Vault hasn't had a new Keeper for several years now… one day more or less won't make a difference."

"And if we decide we don't want to do this after all?" asked Daisuke.

June shrugged. "You will continue on with your normal lives and I will look for a new pair of suitable Vault Keeper candidates. So what do you say?"

The boys looked at each other. "Let's sleep on it for now, Dai," Hiroshi said. Daisuke simply nodded.

"Excellent!" June clapped her hands. "Then let's get back to the Summoning Chamber and I will send you back. Tomorrow, I will summon you back here and you can tell me your decision. Now come along…"

Already as they followed the dryad back to the Summoning Chamber, the boys had a lot to think about. Most of it, they kept to themselves. And even after stepping back on the summoning circle and reappearing back in front of the school, there was just one thing Hiroshi felt like saying:

"Well… this certainly was more exciting than our usual guy's night."

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._


	2. Essence of Unicorn

The next day at school.

"Hey, man," Daisuke said as he walked up to his friend.

"Hey," Hiroshi replied. "So… are we doing this today, or what?"

Daisuke let out a sigh. "Yeah… I don't know. I mean, is this really something we should be messing with? Isn't this somewhat out of our league?"

"It sounds pretty sweet, though," Hiroshi pointed out.

"Well, it always sounds sweeter when you're not the one living it. Isn't that something Ranma once told us?" Daisuke asked.

"Hey guys," Ranma smiled as he sat down next to them. "You talking about me?"

"R-Ranma!" Hiroshi blurted out. "N-nothing! Nothing at all! We were just… um…"

"Talking about how awesome yesterday's guy's night was," Daisuke quickly said. "Right, Hiro?"

Hiroshi nodded. "Right. Guy's night. That's all we were talking about."

"Cool. So, um… sorry I couldn't be there." Ranma sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "You know… fiancee business. As usual. But at least you had fun. You were watching that zombie movie, right? Nabiki told me about it."

Hiroshi blinked. "Nabiki?"

"That's right, boys." They turned their heads to see the notorious ice queen and mercenary girl of Furinkan High, Nabiki Tendo, walk up to them, with her trademarked cocky grin on her face. "So, how was the movie?"

"Tendo-senpai…" Hiroshi frowned a bit. "Why aren't you in your own classroom?" Nabiki being here usually meant trouble for some poor sap.

Nabiki feigned surprise. "Moi? Why, whatever do you mean, Hiroshi-kun? Can't a girl come by to meet some friends?"

"I don't think you've ever been here for friendly business, Nabiki," Ranma intervened. "What is it this time?"

"Oh, nothing much." Nabiki smiled like the cat who ate the canary. "I just wanted to remind Daisuke-kun not to be late when he's coming to paint our dojo. It really needs some fixing after your last battle with Shampoo."

"What? Paint?" Confused, Hiroshi looked over to Daisuke, who seemed a bit glum. "Why are you working for her, Dai?"

"Because," Nabiki said before Daisuke had the chance to reply. "He owes me. I provided him with that excellent DVD yesterday. Blood Moon Rising, golden edition. Weeks before its official release. You two really deserve such an excellent service, but I'm in a good mood. And if you're unable to make it in time, Daisuke-kun… I also accept hard cash as payment. 5000 yen. What do you say?"

Daisuke let out a frustrated groan. "I'll be there, Nabiki…"

"Excellent!" Nabiki smirked. "Now if you'll boys excuse me, I need to find Kuno. I have some pictures of a certain, pig-tailed girl for him he might be interested in…"

Chuckling to herself, she left the room.

"H-hey!" Ranma protested as he jumped to his feet, ready to run after her. "Get back here, Nabiki! I thought we went over this."

"Please sit down, Saotome-san," Miss Hinako said as she entered. "Class is about to start."

While Ranma sat down with a disgruntled frown, Hiroshi scooted over to Daisuke and whispered: "What were you thinking? Why did you get that DVD from Nabiki, of all people?"

"Don't ask," Daisuke groaned. "But you know what? My desire to become Vault Keeper just increased immensely." He clenched his fist. "Nabiki Tendo… shall pay!"

* * *

Hiroshi and Daisuke really had no idea how to contact June, the dryad. But they didn't really have to. Right after classes were over and the two boys were by themselves, they disappeared in a flash… and they found themselves back within the Summoning Chamber of the Vault.

"Welcome back, boys." June greeted them with a smile. "I take it you made your decision?"

Daisuke exchanged a quick look with Hiroshi, and the two nodded at each other. "Yeah," Daisuke then said. "We'll do it… we'll be the next Vault Keepers!"

"That's fantastic news!" June grinned from ear to ear. "I'm sure you'll do just great. Now come on, I'll help you get settled in."

"We're still living home in Nerima, though," Hiroshi noted. "We'll just drop in every now and then."

"Right right, I understand that, but remember, it'll have to be at least one hour a day," June said. "Now let me show you how everything works around here."

About half an hour later, June had shown the boys about everything the facility had to offer. They knew what kind of stuff they could find in the storerooms and how the crafting stations worked. She also gave them a small, portable mirror.

"This is your ticket back here," she explained. "You can only use it together. Touch the mirror's edge from both sides and look inside, then you'll be instantly teleported into the Summoning Chamber. This way, you won't have to rely on me summoning you every time. Just make sure you don't lose it, okay?"

"Why do we even need the crafting stations and all that other stuff?" Daisuke asked.

"Oh trust me," June said. "With a job like this, you never know what might happen. Soon enough you'll be happy to have a place where you can mix up potions and craft tools and weapons."

"But we don't even know how to do that," Hiroshi protested.

"That's easy to fix. Use a class orb and become an alchemist, tinkerer or blacksmith. You do remember that they affect you only temporarily, right? Well then… anything else you need?"

"Um, no," Hiroshi said. "I think we're good for now."

June smiled. "Great. In that case, I'll go and write my next report. If you guys need anything, just call me." And with that, she turned around and left the boys alone.

For the first time, Hiroshi and Daisuke were all by themselves in the Vault. For a while, they just looked around and did nothing.

"Well… this is it," Daisuke finally said. "We're Vault Keepers. Kinda cool, huh?"

"Yeah, it is," Hiroshi nodded. "Although a tiny part of my brain still wonders if we did the right thing."

"Just think about the sweet, sweet revenge we'll have," Daisuke grinned. "Nabiki won't know what hit her."

"You mean the revenge you'll have," Hiroshi frowned. "It was you who had the stupid idea of making a deal with her."

"Don't be so nit-picky about it," Daisuke sighed. "Besides, this is a great chance for a test run of our relics."

"I guess there's that," Hiroshi agreed. "And I'd rather have Nabiki as a guinea pig than a family member or friend. So what shall we do with her? I doubt she'll be willing to change her 'class'."

"No, the class orbs aren't going to help us here," Daisuke said. Then he smirked. "I think it's time for Nabiki Tendo to stop being human."

"You want… to use some essence on her?" Hiroshi asked as he followed his friends into the Chamber of Essences. "Are you sure? I mean… that's pretty harsh just for having to paint a dojo."

"Don't you remember how she treats anyone who works for her?" Daisuke growled. "Last summer, when she forced us to dig a new koi pond, she was sitting down in a chair, enjoying the sun, sipping some juice and barking orders. She's a slave-driver, that's what she is!"

"All right, I get your point," Hiroshi said. "But what essence are we gonna use? And remember, she won't remember ever being different."

"That's enough for me," Daisuke grinned. "Knowing myself how she changed will be satisfying either way. As for what essence we'll use… I was thinking about this one."

He pointed at a bottle containing magenta-colored essence.

Hiroshi looked at his friend in surprise. "Essence of unicorn?"

* * *

The Tendo Dojo, Nerima.

Kasumi Tendo opened the door with her usual smile. "Oh, Daisuke-kun. What brings you here today?"

Daisuke couldn't help but return the smile. Kasumi was always so polite and sweet, completely unlike her sisters. They were all beautiful girls, but Akane was way too aggressive and Nabiki was a manipulative schemer. "Hello, Kasumi-san. I'm here to fix your dojo." He lifted the pots of paint he was carrying a bit.

"Oh, that's right. Nabiki told me you were coming. That's so thoughtful of you to help us with that, Daisuke-kun," Kasumi said. "The dojo gets damaged so often these days… come on in."

Daisuke followed Kasumi through the Tendo household, past Tendo family patriarch Soun and his friend Genma Saotome, Ranma's father and head of the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts. They did not even look up from their game of shogi. Finally, they entered the dojo. In one corner, Ranma was sparring with his fiancee, Akane Tendo. On the other side, Daisuke could see right away that the dojo was in a pretty bad shape. Paint wasn't the only thing that was missing, there was also a hole in the wall. He was able to see right through into the garden… where Nabiki was sitting in a chair, sipping orange juice.

"Nabiki-chan? Your guest is here," Kasumi called for her sister.

Nabiki lowered the sunglasses she was wearing and looked at the glowering Daisuke. "You actually came here on time? I'm impressed. Well then, don't mind me or the quarelling couple over there. Just get to work."

"Hey!" Ranma shouted from the other side of the room. "We're not quarelling, we're sparring… OW! Akane, what did you do that for?"

"Your own fault for letting your enemy out of your sight, Ranma," Akane smirked. "I'll beat you yet, just you wait."

As they continued with their punches and kicks, Daisuke put down his cans and grabbed a paintbrush. "Let's get this over with," he sighed as he started painting.

"That's the spirit," Nabiki smiled.

"Would you like something refreshing to drink, Daisuke-kun?" Kasumi asked.

"That would be wonderful, thank you Kasumi," Daisuke nodded.

Nabiki frowned at that. "Couldn't you have brought your own drink?"

"Now Nabiki," Kasumi frowned. "Is that any way to treat a guest? It's pretty hot today, Daisuke-kun needs to stay hydrated."

"Oh fine," Nabiki sighed. "I guess a glass of water won't hurt the budget too much. Oh, and sis? Bring me another glass of orange juice, would you? This one's almost empty."

"In a moment, Nabiki," Kasumi said. "I need to prepare the sake for father and Uncle Saotome first."

Daisuke was quick to jump to his feet. "I can get it for her." That comment made not only Nabiki look at him in confusion, but Ranma as well.

"Buddy, you're just here to paint the wall," Ranma said. "You're not Nabiki's… WHOA!" He barely managed to block Akane's incoming fist. "Oh, you need to do better than that, you tomboy!"

"Grrr… Ranma! Quit teasing me!" Akane shouted as she continued to pummel him.

"How very thoughtful of you, Daisuke-kun," Kasumi smiled. "The kitchen's this way. Glasses are on the table, the juice bottle is in the fridge. See, Nabiki? He doesn't want you to dehydrate, either."

"Yeah…" Nabiki muttered, narrowing her eyes. She had the feeling there had to be a reason for Daisuke's eagerness to please her. But for now, she couldn't see it. She would have to keep a closer eye on the boy.

Daisuke gave her a grin and hurried into the kitchen. While Kasumi prepared the sake behind him, he took the orange juice and poured some of it into two glasses. He made sure Kasumi wasn't looking and quickly pulled the bottle of unicorn essense out of his pocket. Within seconds, the magenta-colored fluid mixed with the orange of the juice, which made a pretty weird combination.

Daisuke prayed to whatever gods might be listening that Nabiki wouldn't notice the strange color and brought the glasses outside. He gave the essence-spiked orange juice to Nabiki, with the friendliest smile he could muster. "Here you go, senpai."

"Thanks," Nabiki muttered. She took the glass, but wasn't quite looking at it. Instead, she was eyeing Daisuke carefully. The boy just smiled sheepishly and went back to work. He was acting a bit strangely, but then again, he was one of Ranma's weird pals. Nothing too unusual, right?

She put her sunglasses back on and took a quick sip of the glass, before setting it down next to her. Then she lay back and continued enjoying the afternoon sun, not being bothered in the slightest by the sounds of sparring and working in the background. She didn't notice when her face slowly started changing color, from a natural pink to a bright teal…

Daisuke secretly looked over to where Nabiki was sitting. When he noticed how a small horn was beginning to grow out of Nabiki's forehead, he quickly focussed back on his work. He started to have his doubts about the plan… but now it was too late. Nabiki had consumed the essence, it was just a matter of time before she finished her transformation into a unicorn pony. And that's what he wanted, right?

He allowed a small smile to appear on his face while he painted the wall. Oh yes, Nabiki Tendo, he thought to himself. Soon enough, all that's left of you will be nothing but a small, adorable, colorful unicorn. Who would ever take her seriously as a business partner like that? How could she hope to intimidate anyone at school with her threats?

Meanwhile, Ranma and Akane had decided to take a little break from their spar. "Phew…" Ranma wiped his brow. "If anything, that was a great workout. Thanks, Akane."

"Whatever," she grumbled. "I still say I would have beat you, if we had just continued a few minutes longer."

Ranma grinned as he took a sip of water from his bottle. "You keep telling yourself that, Akane." He walked outside. "Yo Nabiki. Just how long are you planning on sitting there? I say it's time you gave me those pictures."

This is it, Daisuke thought. Now we'll see how threatening Nabiki can be in this new form. He inconspicuously looked over to them… and nearly dropped his paintbrush. He had expected some changes, but this was pretty radical.

Nabiki was much smaller than before. If Daisuke had to take a guess, she was only about the size of a rottweiler… but a lot cuter! From her face and haircut… or was that manecut now… she was still easily recognizable as the same Nabiki. But she now had a cute snout, floppy ears and a short, spiraled horn. She also had four legs that ended in tiny hooves. Her entire body was covered by a think layer of teal fuzz, except for her brown mane and the brown tail that was now growing out of her backside. And to top everything off, she had a weird mark on her flank, which for some reason resembled a yen sign. Daisuke almost couldn't believe it. This adorable little thing was supposed to be the ice queen of Furinkan?

Nabiki looked over the edge of her sunglasses, which were still sitting on her cute pony nose. It was the only remaining article of clothing that was left on her.

"Seriously, Saotome?" Her voice hadn't changed at all. "You expect me to just hand them over to you? When I can still use them to get some easy money out of Kuno-baby? Come now, you at least have to make me a good offer first."

Now Daisuke was confused. She still acted like a money-grabbing schemer? Surely, Ranma wouldn't let himself be bullied around by a colorful little unicorn. On the other hand, it was pretty surreal how Ranma just accepted the fact that Nabiki was now a small pony. It really was like the dryad had told them… everyone now believed that this was her normal appearance.

Ranma gritted his teeth. "Cut it out, Nabiki. You know pretty well that I don't have any yen left after you made me pay for that meal at the Nekohanten."

"Then I suggest you better try and dig up some more." The unicorn smiled Nabiki's very own, patented Nabiki-smile. "But I'd hurry if I were you. Demand is steep, and I certainly don't want to keep my customers waiting."

Ranma clenched his fist. This is it, Daisuke thought. I know he's not going to stand for this. He's too proud.

But he was shocked to see that Ranma simply sighed… and turned around to leave. How did that make sense? How could a prideful martial artist like Ranma Saotome stand being manipulated by a candy-colored, miniature equine?

Daisuke had to talk to Hiroshi about this. He certainly didn't feel like finishing his job now, as much as he hated to disappoint Kasumi. So he simply dropped his paintbrush and turned to leave, just like Ranma did.

"And where do you think you're going?" Nabiki asked. "You haven't even finished half of your job." She shook her pony head disaprovingly. "You really think you can ignore our little business arrangement after I so graciously helped you get that DVD, do you?"

"I've had it, Nabiki," Daisuke grumbled. "I'm not doing any business with you anymore. The movie wasn't that good to begin with. Paint the dojo yourself… I'm done here." And he started walking away.

Ranma raised his hand in concern as he saw that. "Um, buddy? I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Akane stared at Daisuke in disbelief as well. What was wrong with those two? What did they think Nabiki could do to him, that…?

In the middle of his thoughts, Daisuke froze. But not willingly… it was as if his whole body refused to obey him. He managed to look down and realized that his body and limbs were frozen stiff… and they were surrounded by a strange aura of glowing, pink energy. "Wh-what the hell?" he muttered, as he tried to break loose. It didn't work.

"Really now, Daisuke-kun." Nabiki chuckled as she leapt out of her chair and slowly trotted over to him on her four hooves, as if she'd done so all her life. "You didn't honestly expect that to work, did you?" She walked around him so he could see her face… and the little horn on her head, which was glowing in the exact same color as the energy surrounding him. She chuckled. "I may not be a very powerfull spellcaster, but I still know the basics. And a simple paralyze spell, focussed on only one target, is as basic as it gets. You should know better than to mess around with a unicorn."

She sat down in the grass and looked up at him with that adorable pony face of hers. "Now how about we make this easy? You go back to your job, finish painting the dojo… and as a bonus, maybe you can fix that hole while you're at it… and I release you from that spell and we can forget the whole thing. Deal?"

Daisuke gritted his teeth. He wanted nothing more than just tell Nabiki to stuff it and get out of here, but it was no use. He couldn't move at all. He got very afraid when he realized that not only did he make Nabiki Tendo a lot cuter and cuddlier… he also gave her even more tools to force other people to listen to her!

Finally, he quietly said: "F… fine."

"There you go," Nabiki smiled. "I knew you'd see reason sooner or later. Now be a good boy and get back to work." And after she said that, her horn stopped glowing and the aura surrounding Daisuke's body vanished. He stumbled forward as he was released from the spell's grip.

Ranma caught his friend before he fell down to the ground. "I really hate to say this, buddy, but…" He sighed. "I told ya so."

Daisuke looked back to the teal unicorn pony as she sat down on her chair and used her magic to levitate the glass of juice towards her mouth. The only thing he could think was: I've created a monster!

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._


	3. Orb of Ranger

Hiroshi, Daisuke and June were sitting just outside the Vault, underneath the trees that surrounded the entrance door leading to the main shaft. The dryad knew there might be some dangerous creatures lurking around in the woods, but as long as the boys didn't move further away, they should be safe. Not to mention she was able to protect them, in the worst case.

June chuckled as she stretched out her legs in the soft grass. "A unicorn? Really? One of the most magically-gifted creatures in existence, and you thought turning her into one of those was a good idea?"

"Well… yeah," Daisuke grumbled. "How was I supposed to know that?"

"The Vault has a library," June said. "If you ever need more information about any sort of class or creature, you can look it up there. Just be glad the essence belonged to a unicorn from Equestria… unicorns from other realms could be even more powerful than that."

"Noe you're telling us," Hiroshi sighed. "Well, that was a big waste of time. Now what do we do?"

"That's what I'd like to know," June said as she grinned at them. She didn't want to admit it to them just yet, but the two new kids were amusing her. Admittedly, their first action was pretty careless, but at least they did take some action. It took other Keepers before them months until they felt confident enough to use their first relic. "What are your next steps, oh Keepers of the Vault?"

"Why does that sound like you're mocking us?" Hiroshi frowned. "And… to be honest, I'm not quite sure. What should we do?"

"You know, I've been thinking," Daisuke said. "When I was at the Tendo Dojo, Nabiki wasn't just screwing with me, but also with Ranma. I mean, he's this strong martial artist who doesn't have to be afraid of anything… yet he cowers, just because Nabiki has taken some pictures of him. Well, of his girl side, at least. That's not like him."

Girl side? Now that took June's interest. The boy could be just talking metaphorically, but the dryad had more than enough experience that she knew when there was more to a situation that meets the eye. She decided to delve into this matter more thoroughly at a later time.

"I think we should help him then," Hiroshi said. "Ranma's a great guy, even though I'm envious of him quite often. He doesn't even manage to get along with Akane most of the time, even though she's the most badass chick in Furinkan… well, aside from Kuonji-san, maybe. He shouldn't have to deal with this crap from Nabiki."

"Then what do we do?" Daisuke asked. "Getting Nabiki out of the picture didn't work. How else can we help him?"

* * *

Back at the Tendo Dojo…

"What's going on, Ranma?" Akane asked. "I thought we were going to continue our spar this afternoon."

"I'm sorry, I just need to take care of this," Ranma said. "If I don't find a way to get that money for Nabiki, she'll hand over those pictures to Kuno."

"So what?" Akane threw up her arms in exasperation. "He's seen pictures of you all the time."

"That doesn't mean I have to accept it like that," Ranma snapped at her. "I still have some manly pride, but I guess that's something an uncute tomboy like you will never understand!"

He knew he made a mistake when Akane lifted her mallet. "Ranma no BAKA!" she yelled as she pounded him into the ground once more.

As Akane stormed off in a huff, Ranma crawled back out of the hole that was shaped like himself. "Me and my b-big mouth…"

His mother, Nodoka Saotome, was sitting nearby and sipped some tea. "I don't like to say this, son, but you really brought that up onto yourself. That's wasn't a very nice thing to say to Akane. Besides, she was really looking forward to this."

Ranma groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Yeah, but… can't she understand I have more important things to take care of?"

"I think she does understand that it's important for you," Nodoka said. "But she also feels that you're ignoring her."

"How can I ignore her when I feel the weight of her mallet upon my head nearly every day?" Ranma grumbled. "Aw, forget it… I need to find Nabiki." And he stormed outside.

Nodoka let out a sigh. "You really need to talk to that daughter of yours, Soun. The way Nabiki is controlling others will only make matters worse for her in the long run."

"I know that," Soun muttered, shaking his head. "But I'm not sure I can even reach out to her. Sometimes, I'm afraid she doesn't even see me as her real father. And I can't blame her… ever since we found her on our doorstep as a tiny filly, we knew she'd be an outcast. And these past years, she's felt more and more that she needs to make others respect her, in order to be accepted amongst humans."

"They don't accept her, they're afraid of her magic," Nodoka pointed out. "I think Nabiki fails to see that. On the other hand, I also get the feeling that she feels a bit jealous of Akane."

"Jealous?" Soun wondered. "Jealous about what?"

"Jealous that she never had a real chance with Ranma in the first place," Nodoka explained. "Think about it. Kasumi always had a crush on Dr. Tofu and Akane now has Ranma, no matter how hard the two try to hide their feelings. But Nabiki? What chance does she have to find a nice man for herself, as a unicorn in a human's world?" The Saotome matriarch looked down at the floor with sadness.

"Oh Nabiki…" Soun sighed. "It's times like this I wish Kimiko was still around… What should we do?"

"At times like this, all we can do is to let our children now that we support them in everything they do and make sure that they uphold the family honor," Nodoka said firmly. "Isn't that right, dear?"

She looked over to her husband… but only saw a panda holding up a wooden sign that read: 'Nobody here but us pandas'.

Nodoka groaned with frustration. "Genma Saotome, you might be the worst father in existence."

* * *

Somewhere across the multiverse, Gendo Ikari sneezed.

* * *

Akane was so mad at Ranma that she went outside for a run to clear her head. It only helped a bit, though. When she came past the shopping mall, most of her anger had subsided. But she was still upset.

That Ranma, she thought to herself. Why can't he ever acknowledge me?

"Oh hey, Akane-chan," a pair of familiar voices shouted. "Over here!"

Akane turned around and saw her two friends from school coming towards her, Yuka and Sayuri. "Oh, it's you guys… hey."

"What's the matter with you?" Sayuri asked. "You look like you're mad about something."

"Did someone bother you again?" Yuka inquired.

Akane knew she couldn't keep anything a secret from these two. "It's… Ranma," she admitted. "He promised to spar with me this afternoon and now he's run off again." She rubbed her forehead. "He… he just never cares about me. Whenever I wanna do something with him, he has something better to do."

"Awww, that's a real shame," Sayuri said. "You poor thing."

"Maybe you're trying the wrong things," Yuka took a guess. "Maybe you shouldn't try sparring all the time, but instead, try something else. You know… go watch a movie, visit a nice restaurant…"

"Nice restaurant?" Akane snorted. "Yeah, right… the only ones he's willing to go to are the Nekohanten and Ucchan's. And we all know how that will turn out!"

"Oh yeah, maybe that was a bad example," Yuka admitted. "But if you don't go out together, why don't you coo…" She quickly bit her lower lip when she realized what she was about to suggest.

"Why don't I do what?" Akane blinked.

"Um… never mind," Yuka said. She wanted to help Akane, but not by dooming Ranma to Akane's cooking. "I'm… sure you'll find some other solution. I'm sure there is one. We'll help you find one… but only on oooone condition!"

"Oh, really?" Akane frowned. "What is it?"

Yuka gave her a big grin. "Pleeeeaaase ask your sister if we can pet her. I've never pet a pony before!"

Akane facepalmed.

"Hey look, there's Hiroshi." Sayuri then pointed at a familiar-looking boy that was running by and waved. "Hey, Hiroshi-kun! What's that you got there?"

Hiroshi stopped and looked over to the three girls. He was obviously in a hurry, and in his hands he was carrying some sort of bundle. It looked like something round had been wrapped with a newspaper. "Oh, it's you guys," he said. "That's, um… nothing important. Listen, I'm kind of in a hurry, I'm on my way to Ranma…"

"Oh yeah?" Akane snorted and crossed her arms. "Well, then you can tell that jackass that I'm done with him!"

"What? Why?" Hiroshi asked. "Are you mad at him… again?"

"They got in another fight," Sayuri sighed. "And we're trying to figure out how to help her make up with him."

"What's the point?" Akane muttered. "Obviously, I'm not that important to him. That self-centered idiot… he'll never realize that I can be just as strong as him." Then she sighed and hid her face in her hands. "I… wanna be as strong as him…"

"I wonder if that's the problem," Yuka pondered. "I'm probably grasping at straws here, but maybe you feel that you can't catch to him as a martial artist. Could that be it?"

"Maybe…" Akane muttered. "All this time, I thought I was a great fighter. But… now I see how good Ranma, Ukyo, Ryoga and Shampoo are… and I feel I'm being left behind in the dust."

"You mean you should try something different than being a martial artist?" Sayuri asked.

"I don't really think that's actually possible," Akane said. "I've been a martial artist all my life… how can I be something different just like that?"

Hiroshi froze. Was that it? Was that a better chance to carry out their plan? Originally, he just wanted to take this orb to Ranma, but… he really didn't know just how exactly it could help his friend. Also, Ranma was the most passionate man he had ever met when it came to martial arts, so there was no way he would accept giving it up to be something else.

But what if he gave it to Akane instead?

"Hey… Akane?" He hesitantly approached her. "Listen, I… have something I wanna give you. It was supposed to be for Ranma, but, um… I think it'll be more useful to you. Just… just take it home, unwrap it and… just use it. I guarantee it'll help." And he shoved the little bundle into Akane's hands.

"Wh-what?" Akane asked with surprise. "Wait a minute… what is this? What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Oh, just a little something Daisuke and I thought up… reeeeally can't stay to chat though, gotta go, see you later, byyyyeee!" And with those words, Hiroshi took off.

Akane, Sayuri and Yuka looked down at the small bundle together.

"What do you think it is?" Yuka asked.

Sayuri shrugged. "I don't know, but I wouldn't touch it if I were you. Hiroshi-kun's a nice guy, bit he can be a little dimwit."

Yuka frowned at her. "He's not!"

Sayuri sneered. "You're just saying that because he's your boyfriend."

"Oh yeah? Well, YOUR boyfriend Daisuke is a much bigger dimwit than Hiroshi!"

"WHAT? No, he isn't!"

"Um, girls?" Akane spoke up. "It was nice of you to cheer me up and everything… but I really should get back home now. See you tomorrow at school."

"Yes, he is!"

"No, he isn't!"

Shaking her head, Akane left her two friends to their little discussion and went home. It took the other two girls some time to realize she was gone.

"Huh? Hey, Yuka, where's Akane?"

"Hmm, I guess she must have been in a hurry." Sayuri angrily snapped her fingers. "Dangit, now we'll never know what's in that little package." She pensively looked in the direction Hiroshi vanished in. "Those boys… do you think they're up to something?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Yuka said. "Should we try and find out what it is?"

"Well, okay… but if it turns out they're up to some mischief, I'm betting it's Hiroshi's fault." Sayuri sneered.

"What?" Yuka glared at the other girl. "No way, it's obviously Daisuke's fault!"

"It's Hiroshi's!"

"It's Daisuke's!"

* * *

Akane shut the door behind her. "I'm home!"

Kasumi welcomed her with the smile that always made everyone feel better. "Welcome home! Are you feeling better now, Akane?"

"Yeah, a little bit," Akane said. "Where's Ranma?"

"He's fighting with Uncle Saotome over some leftover ramen," Kasumi smiled. That girl really didn't let anything bother her. Then again, everyone in the Tendo household was pretty much used to the spats between Ranma and his father by now. And if it got too bad, Nodoka would always intervene.

"Got it… I'll talk to him later. Right now, I just wanna be in my room, for some peace of quiet…"

"Of course," Kasumi nodded. "I'm sure you need some rest after today. By the way, what's that you're holding?"

"Hmm?" Akane looked down at Hiroshi's bundle. She almost forgot she had it. "Oh… nothing important, I guess." She then went into her room.

"I'll tell you when dinner is ready," Kasumi shouted after her. "Oh, and make sure to change out of your gi. It must be all sweaty by now."

When she came past Nabiki's room, the door was slightly ajar. Akane peered inside and saw her unicorn sister sitting at her special, pony-sized desk. Actually it was originally a children's desk, but Nabiki managed to redesign it for her own purposes. Since Nabiki was so small, Akane was able to look over her shoulder and see the photos lying in front of her, all of them of Ranma in his female form. Akane remembered that day well… Shampoo had come for a surprise visit (that's where the hole in the dojo originated from) and attacked Akane. Ranma had been caught in the crossfire, had his shirt torn open by flying debris and then was thrown into the koi pond, turning him into a girl. She then tried to 'convince' Shampoo to leave, which included another round of fighting. During that time, Nabiki had managed to shoot a few pictures of Ranma's half-nude form in mid-fight. And thanks to her telekinetic magic, she didn't even have to get close to the fight.

Akane stuck her head into her sister's room. "Nabiki… do you have to do that every time Ranma gets turned into a girl? Can't you just leave him alone?"

"What's this?" The unicorn turned her head to look at her human sister in surprise. "You're taking Ranma's side? Well, hell has officially frozen over."

"I'm serious, sis," Akane said. "I might get upset with him quite often, and yeah, he often acts like a stupid bonehead… but he IS my fiance, after all. And you're family… so can't you just give him a break for once?"

Akane barely even noticed it in the stern façade Nabiki had built up. But she knew her sister pretty well, and she noticed the small glint of pain in the big, shimmering eyes of the unicorn. "Family?" Nabiki scoffed. "Really? Well, the rest of the family obviously isn't interested in a solid income, and who has to take care of it? In an ironic twist of fate, the inhuman black sheep of the family. Tell me, Akane… how else am I going to make some money for the family? Do you think anyone is willing to hire a unicorn in his business?"

Nabiki's words stung Akane more than she was willing to admit. "Fine… I get it," she said quietly and closed her sister's door.

In her room, Akane threw herself onto her bed. She was getting so sick of everything… the fiancee problem, Ranma's unwillingness to take her seriously, stalkers like Kuno and now Nabiki's trouble of not getting accepted in a human society.

She turned around and looked up at her ceiling. "Isn't there anything I can do?" she murmured. "Anything? As a martial artist, it is my duty to help other people. But how can I help them if I can't even keep control of my own life?"

Maybe Sayuri was right. Maybe being a martial artist really wasn't the right thing for her. So what was she supposed to do?

She looked at the small bundle in her right hand and finally decided to take a look at the thing. She still didn't believe that anything the dweeb duo came up with would be a big help, but… it couldn't hurt to look, right?

She removed the newspaper that was wrapped around the small object. It was a small sphere or orb, barely bigger than her own fist, glowing in a mysterious, green light.

"What in the world?" she whispered as she sat up straight to get a closer look on the orb. It looked like some sort of strange energy was swirling around inside. She wondered where on Earth could the two blockheads have come across such a thing. She doubted it was anything you could buy at the next supermarket.

She grabbed it with both hands and lifted it up in front of her face. She saw lines floating around the outside of the orb. Small phrases written in a strange language she was unable to decipher. But wait… did the letters shift around just now? She realized that it was getting easier to read the phrases. Was this a message written in different languages?

She decided to quickly read the text before it changed again. "Congratulations to you, oh holder of the Orb of Ranger," she muttered as the message floated along in front of her eyes. "You hold the chance to start anew, to choose a new career, a new class. You are offered the gifts of the ranger… quick and nimble on his feet, with a sight as sharp as an eagles and an aim as swift and accurate as an elf. Good with animals, a man of the forest and a master marksman, the ranger never misses his target. But be warned… to accept this gift, you will have to give up everything you have mastered up to now. Surrender your career, surrender your old class and be willing never to embrace it again. Only then will you gain the gift of the ranger. Do you accept?"

Akane lowered the orb and pondered for a moment. This was exactly what she had been asking for… well, somewhat. She still had no idea how such an item got into the possession of Hiroshi, but she didn't really care about that now. Instead, she asked herself: Was she really willing to give up her life as a martial artist? It was her joy, her pride, her way of life.

But then again… could she hope to ever come close to what Ranma and his other fiancees were capable of? Would she always be forced to stay in his shadow?

This was a chance to get out of that shadow, to prove to him that there could be something she could be good at. And maybe even another way of helping her family. It was simply… another way.

A small voice in her head still warned her that it was rash and unwise to accept bargains from mysterious, magical artifacts… but Akane had never been a patient one. If she didn't accept this now, she might never get another chance in her life.

So she raised the orb back up to her face, sternly gazed into it and said: "I accept."

And then, she was bathed in a flash of bright, green light.

Only seconds later, she was able to see again. The strange light disappeared, along with the orb in her hands. She blinked a couple of times, looked down at herself… and nearly let out a shout of surprise.

Her old combat gi was gone. Instead, she was wearing an outfit she had never seen before in her life. Most of it was made of leather, its main colors being brown and dark green. On her feet was a pair of comfortable leather boots, and around her waist she wore a belt with a silver buckle and several small pouches.

"Wow…" she said quietly as she carefully inspected every bit of her new appearance. She stood in front of her mirror and watched herself from all sides. "I guess the message in the orb was telling the truth. I really look like a forest ranger now, instead of a martial artist…"

She then gasped. "Oh no!" She quickly ran over to her closet, where she kept all of her spare gis, all the belts she acquired in her past and every tournament trophy she had ever won. It was all gone. Instead, she saw an incredible-looking composite bow hanging in her closet and next to it, a fine quiver with a big assortment of arrows.

Akane let out a sigh. Of course. The orb had told her that she would have to give everything up. That included all of her previous accomplishments as a martial artist. Part of her knew this had to be part of her deal, but she still felt some pain of loss and disappointment.

But she had been ready to give it up, she told herself. The orb could not be blamed for this, and not even Hiroshi. She had made the choice herself and accepted the offer. Still, a question remained: Now that she had become a ranger, how could she use that for herself and her family?

She heard her big sister's voice: "Akane, dinner is ready!"

Still uncertain about herself and her new situation, Akane just left her room and went into the living room, where all of her family was already waiting.

"There you are," Kasumi said as she turned to face Akane. "Have you calmed down a bit and… oh! Oh my…" Her eyes widened a bit when she saw her sister in her new appearance.

"Whoa, Akane?" Ranma blurted out. "What's with the new outfit?"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Looking very Middle-earth there, sis."

"Um…" Akane let out a nervous chuckle. "I was just… trying out something new… Surprise?"

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Gendo Ikari and Neon Genesis Evangelion belong to Gainax._

 _Middle-earth and Lord of the Rings belong to J. R. R. Tolkien._


	4. Essence of Worgen

Ukyo Kuonji, okonomiyaki chef extraordinaire, martial artist and Ranma's childhood friend and fiancee was just about to sit down for lunch, when she saw Akane coming her way. She wanted to greet her, but then she did a double-take.

Akane was wearing her usual school uniform, but something was different about her this day. Just like Ukyo was always carrying around her huge spatula, Akane was also carrying something on her back. But instead of a cooking utensil (Ukyo shuddered at the thought), it was a… bow and quiver?

"Hey, Ukyo. Mind if I sit down with you for lunch today?" Akane asked.

"Um… sure thing, Akane. Say, what's up with the bow?"

"Oh… that?" Akane fidgeted a bit. "I, uh, wanted to join the school's archery club, you see?"

"Uh huh," Ukyo nodded. "I didn't even know our school had an archery club. Since when are you interested in something like this?"

"Oh, you know," Akane shrugged. "Sometimes, you just have to try something new. I figured I'd take a break from martial arts for a while."

Now Ukyo was even more confused. Akane, taking a break from martial arts? Didn't she always brag how she had to uphold the legacy of her father's school? The young chef just couldn't imagine Akane was willing to just push that aside.

"What's that you've got there?" Akane then asked.

Ukyo looked at the bottle she was holding. It was a regular, disposable water bottle, but someone had filled it with some sort of dark red drink. "Oh, you mean this? Daisuke gave it to me. He and Hiroshi asked me for a discount for okonomiyaki at my restaurant… because, you know, they're pals of Ranchan's."

Akane smirked. "Not the first time they tried that, right?"

"Yeah, but this time, they were actually pretty nice about it," Ukyo said. "And Daisuke gave me this drink because I forgot mine at Ucchan's. Never thought those two weirdos could learn to be this polite."

"Well, yeah… strange things happen," Akane muttered. She had to think back about the orb Hiroshi had given to her. Something definitely happened to those two. She wondered if she should look into this mystery some more. But was it really worth the trouble? She took a closer look at the bottle. "What do you think it is?"

Ukyo shrugged. "Looks like some sort of cherry soda to me. Well, only one way to find out. Kampai!" And she took a big swig. Then she grimaced. "Urgh, tastes somewhat nasty. Almost like… blood?"

"I bet those doofuses were trying to prank you after all," Akane said.

"I dunno, I feel kinda… funny. That taste… makes me wanna… ugh…" Ukyo gasped as her upper body bent forward and her arms started to twitch.

"Ukyo?" Akane asked with worry. "Are you all right? Shall I get the nurse… or Dr. Tofu?"

"I'm… fine…" Ukyo groaned. "Just need to… let it all… out… GRAAAAAAAAH!" She opened her mouth with a snarl, revealing her elongating canines. Her face started to stretch into a muzzle filled with sharp teeth. Her body swelled in size and with muscle, while dark brown fur began sprouting all over it. Her feet reformed into a more animalistic shape with soft pads and sharp claws. Claws were also sprouting from her fingertips. The bandages underneath her clothes could not withstand the steady swell of her expanding chest… until they snapped.

Ukyo raised her lupine head to she sky and let out a loud howl: "AAAAARROOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Akane just stared at that display with surprise… then she shook her head with a sigh. "Again, Ukyo?"

"Sorry, I can't help it," Ukyo growled apologetically. Her voice was a lot deeper and rougher, but still easily recognizable as hers. "That taste of blood… triggered something in me." She raised her nose and sniffed the air. Then she turned her head towards where Hiroshi and Daisuke were hiding behind a wall. "HEY! You guys are lucky if I'll ever let you into Ucchan's again after that prank! When I get my claws on you, you won't be able to sit for weeks!"

All around her, students started to whisper and snicker. "Did you see that?" – "Wow, Kuonji wolfed out again." – "I wonder if she'll ever make Saotome like her like that." – "Do you think she has to shave in this form?" – "You know, for a huge, furry beast… she's kinda hot."

Miss Hinako had also witnessed Ukyo's transformation. "Kuonji-san! No howling on the school grounds!"

Ukyo snarled in annoyance. Akane looked at her with sympathy. "Must be difficult sometimes, being a worgen."

"It can be annoying," Ukyo replied in her gruffer voice. She tugged a bit at the upper part of her uniform. "At least I managed to get a school uniform that adapts to my larger size. And because all of my pants keep getting shredded, wearing a skirt is much easier."

Neither of the two girls had realized that Ukyo's clothes had transformed from a boy's uniform into a girl's uniform. The breast bindings also disappeared right after the wolf girl's new, ample breasts had burst through them.

"Let's just enjoy lunch and don't listen to those guys," Akane said. "What did you bring?"

"D'you have to ask?" Ukyo asked with a toothy grin. "Okonomiyaki with looots of meat!"

"Of course." Akane rolled her eyes, while the lupine okonomiyaki chef wolfed down her meal… quite literally.

But while she was eating, Ukyo's sensitive nose caught another scent… a scent she knew and liked very much. "Lunch can wait," she said and stood up to her new, impressive height. "The only smell better than the smell of meat… is the smell of my mate!" She grinned and left Akane behind.

Akane looked after her… and gritted her teeth when she realized that Ukyo was approaching Ranma. "UKYO!" she shouted. "I swear, I'm gonna shoot an arrow right down your fuzzy butt if you don't leave Ranma alone!"

At first, Ranma didn't see or notice anything… until he was hugged from behind and felt the swell of two big, round, furry globes being pressed into his back. He also felt a familiar hot breath down his neck and a wet tongue licking his cheek. "Heya, Ranchan! Happy to see me?"

Ranma turned his head and looked into the happiest face a wolf could ever have. If Ukyo had a tail, she would be wagging it by now. "Hey, Ucchan… can ya let go of me now?"

The worgen girl grinned. "Nope! You're too dang snuggly to let go."

"Dangit, Ukyo, just let go of him!" Akane yelled as she stormed up to them. "I swear, you're just as bad as Shampoo."

"Whatever," Ukyo said. "You're just jealous because Ranma prefers big, strong, fluffy women."

"Um… actually, I…" Ranma tried to protest.

"Rrrraaanmaaaaaa! Don't just let her do that to you! That's it, I'm taking out one of my arrows!"

"Arrows? N-n-now wait just a moment, Akane… whatever happened to your mallet?" Ranma gulped.

"He's on vacation!"

"FOUL SORCERER! You would summon a hairy she-beast to abduct the fair Akane Tendo? I, Tatewaki Kuno, the blue thunder of Furinkan, shall strike you to the ground where you stand… and your little dog, too!"

"Hey! Who're you calling a hairy she-beast, blue blunder?" Ukyo growled.

"It feels more like she's the one doing the abducting…" Ranma muttered.

"DANGIT Kuno, I so do not need this right now!" Akane shouted.

* * *

While all the other students were watching the three-way-squabble (soon turning into a four-way-squabble as Kuno entered the fray), Hiroshi and Daisuke crouched down in an isolated corner, away from everyone.

"Well, I'd say that was a success," Daisuke said.

"You call that a success?" Hiroshi frowned as he looked back at the chaos.

"That happens every day," Daisuke asserted. "More importantly, we helped Ukyo-chan overcome her insecurity about her gender."

"Her… what?" Hiroshi looked at his pal dumbfounded.

"Well, you know Ukyo always came to school in a boy's uniform. And she feels she has to be tough for Ranma. Now that she's a big, buff, busty wolf chick, she doesn't have to be afraid of her femininity anymore. I mean, she can't exactly hide THAT figure with male clothing, right?" Daisuke asked.

"I guess you have a point there," Hiroshi agreed. "Besides, now Nabiki isn't the only non-human student anymore. And that was the whole idea behind the plan, right?"

"Right," Daisuke nodded. "But for now let's regroup and report back to HQ.

"HQ?"

"The Vault, doofus."

"Oh. Right. Do you have the mirror?"

"It's right here." Daisuke reached into his bag and took out the small hand mirror. "Are you ready? Is the coast clear?"

Hiroshi took a careful look around. The crowd was still surrounding Ranma and his fiancees. "We're free to go."

The two boys reached for the mirror at the same time and looked inside. And right away, they disappeared.

A sudden gasp came out of one of the bushes. And then, Sayuri and Yuka poked their heads out and stared at the spot where Daisuke and Hiroshi had been just seconds ago.

"Did you see that, Sayuri?" Yuka asked.

"I did." Sayuri narrowed her eyes. "It seems our boyfriends are keeping a big secret from us, Agent Y. We need to continue our investigation."

"Who's Agent Y?"

"That's you."

"Oh."

* * *

Nabiki didn't watch the argument between Ranma and his fiancees. She usually kept apart from her classmates… from everybody, really. The only contacts she had were her customers and the few cronies she had. But even they weren't really friends. She knew they were only following her because they didn't want to get on the bad side of a unicorn who could do magic.

Naturally, Nabiki was alone most of the time. Her way back home was no different.

It didn't matter. She was used to it. She didn't need them, anyway. She could hear them talk about her behind her back. Either they thought of her as an inhuman freak, or as a stupid animal they could pet or even ride on. She knew she was better than all of them.

She stopped when she noticed how two female students were blocking her path. She knew those girls… they were in her class, and generally unpleasant to be around.

"Hey, pony!" the taller of them sneered. She was a brutish girl with short hair. "What are you doing here all by yourself? Going home?"

"I bet she doesn't even have a real home," she smaller girl sneered. She was much thinner, had curly hair and pretty big teeth. "She probably lives in a stable and eats oats and hay."

"And at night, they tie her to a post with a rope," the brute girl grinned. "What are you animal even doing at our school? Do you hope you can learn a few tricks?"

"Yeah, like jumping through a hoop," the thin girl snickered. "She hopes to get some sugar cubes afterwards."

Nabiki suppressed a groan. This wasn't the first time these two insulted her, but they usually did it when they thought she couldn't hear them. She just decided to ignore them, they weren't worth her time.

But when she tried to walk around them, the tall girl put her foot in front of her. "Hey! Where do you think you're going? Stupid animal! We're not done talking to you!"

"You better leave now if you know what's good for you…" Nabiki said through gritted teeth. Her horn started glowing. "Or else you'll be… OW!" She yelped with pain when a sharp pebble struck her forehead. The glow around her horn disappeared.

"What, can't focus on your silly tricks when your horn's in pain?" the small girl chuckled as she threw another pebble up and down. "That's too bad."

"I wouldn't take any risks if I were you," the brute said. "Here, try a bigger one." And she picked up a rock the size of an egg.

Nabiki started to feel nervous. She was unable to cast any magic if she couldn't concentrate. And if she was hit with a rock that big…

"Hey!" a voice shouted from behind. "Pick on someone your own size!"

The bullies looked around… and saw Ukyo standing there, clenching her fists. She was back in her human form.

"What do you want?" the brute girl snapped. "Don't get yourself involved with things that don't concern you."

"I'm warning you only once," Ukyo growled. "Get out of here! NOW!"

"Or you'll do what, little girl?" the brute scowled. She slowly cracked her knuckles and walked up to her. She was actually bigger than Ukyo in this form.

"Oh, you'll soon find out…" Ukyo snarled as she began to transform.

The curly-haired bully gasped. "Wait! I know her… she's that other freak!"

"Wh-what?" the brutish one stuttered. "B-but how can she transform? It's not a full moon! Werewolves only transform under the full moon, right?"

"You idiot," Ukyo snarled. "I'm not a werewolf, I'm a worgen! Maybe werewolves transform under the full moon, but I can transform whenever I want."

"This doesn't look good," the smaller one gulped. "Let's get out of here."

The tall girl looked like she was about to protest. But when Ukyo grew bigger and she had to look up to see her face… she decided that the pony wasn't worth getting ripped to shreds. In the blink of an eye, the two bullies were gone.

Ukyo sighed and forced herself to relax. While she loved her wild side, she still needed to make sure it was under her control. "Those idiots," she said. " Are you okay, Nabiki?"

"I'm… fine," the unicorn said. "I didn't ask you to help me, you know? I could have dealt with them myself."

"Yeah, I saw that," the she-wolf grunted. "Why can't you admit that you need some help every now and then?"

Nabiki looked up at her. The size difference between them was extreme. "And I suppose you want a reward now."

"You really don't get me at all if you believe that," Ukyo said, crossing her muscular arms across her furry chest. "A martial artist always protects those who need help. Didn't you learn that from Ranma?"

"Well, Ranma is an idiot!" Nabiki grimaced. "And I'm certainly not a helpless little pony that needs the help of others. I don't need…"

Before she could finish the sentence, she was clonked on the head and lost consciousness.

"Aiya! Little mercenary pony go down far more quickly than Shampoo thought."

"Shampoo?" Ukyo shouted. The svelte, lavender-haired Chinese girl had come leaping down in front of her, striking Nabiki with one of her trusty bonbori. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Spatula wolf need no worry." Shampoo smiled at her. "Shampoo just take mercenary pony to great-grandmother, yes? Not important to you."

"Why do you want to take her to Cologne?" Ukyo asked warily. "What do you amazons need her for?"

Shampoo sighed. "Aiya, spatula wolf always nosy. Pretty big nose it is, too. Fine, Shampoo tell you." She pointed at the unconscious Nabiki's forehead. "Shampoo need unicorn horn for potion to win airen. Unicorns pretty rare, yes? Mercenary pony only one around."

"You can't just go around and take some person's body parts!" Ukyo said. "Well, some… pony's in this case, I guess. But it's still wrong!"

Shampoo shook her head. "Shampoo thought violent girl would protect her sister, not you. But if Shampoo has to fight you…" The amazon warrior took a combat stance. "Then Shampoo will!"

"Just try it!" Ukyo snarled, baring her teeth. Then she regained her composure… and reached for the giant spatula on her back.

"What, Ukyo not fighting Shampoo with fangs and claws?" Shampoo asked in a surprised voice.

"I'm a martial artist," Ukyo replied, filled with determination. "Not some wild beast. And neither is she." She pointed a claw at Nabiki. "If you want her… then you'll have to go through me!"

"With pleasure!" Shampoo shouted and leapt at the wolf-chef. Ukyo howled and swung around her spatula. Shampoo countered with her bonbori, and the two metal weapons collided with each other with a loud clang.

For a while, the two girls clashed. But then Ukyo attacked Shampoo with a big overhead swing of her weapon. Shampoo managed to block the attack, but Ukyo kept pressing down.

"Give it up already, Shampoo," Ukyo shouted.

"N-n-never…" Shampoo stuttered. "Amazons… never… yield…" But she was sweating heavily and her arms started to shake. She realized she was unable to hold off the attack of the beast-girl for much longer. She was just too strong. Realizing she couldn't win, the amazon jumped back and out of Ukyo's reach.

"Spatula wolf win for now," she said. "But Shampoo be back for unicorn's horn!" And with a big leap, she was gone.

Ukyo put her weapon on her back. "Hopefully, that's the last fight for today," she muttered. She knelt down next to the small pony and gently shook her. "Nabiki? Hey, Nabiki!"

"Oooooooh…" the unicorn groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. "Anypony got the number of that truck?"

"I guess you'll be okay," Ukyo smiled. "Or are you hurt?"

"Just my pride, I guess," Nabiki sighed. "I suppose… I owe you one. But… that doesn't mean anything, you hear?" she quickly said. "I just… hate to be in someone's debt. So… is there anything you need? Money? Or do you need me to dig up some information?"

"I don't need anything," Ukyo said as she stood back up to her full height. "Just knowing that you're out of trouble is enough. After all… us non-humans need to stick together. Right?" She winked.

Nabiki looked at her in surprise, then a small smile appeared on her face. "Right."

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._


	5. Orb of Amazon

June was sitting on a branch, high in her favorite tree. It was dark outside and the moon had already risen high above the trees. Her only source of light was a single glowstick she placed inside a small knothole. Crickets were chirping, and somewhere in the far distance, there was ominous groaning.

The dryad was reading a book she had picked from the Vault's library. It was called 'Enchanted rivers, ponds and springs'. She took her time reading every single paragraph very carefully.

"Jusenkyo," she muttered. "A legendary training ground filled with cursed springs. Location: Realm RT-6, China. Whoever falls into one of the springs shall be cursed to be turned into the creature which had previously drowned or nearly drowned within the spring."

She was intrigued. "I had no idea such an extraordinary place existed in the home realm of those two numbskulls. And according to them, this Ranma seems to have a curse that turns him female." She smiled. "Interesting… that opens up so many possibilities."

The sound of the groaning grew louder by the minute. She looked down and saw nothing but darkness. June reached into the small satchel she was wearing around her waist, took out another glowstick and threw it down to the ground.

The stick's green light illuminated a group of three zombies that were shuffling around the base of her tree. Unable to reach her up in the tree, they groaned and waved around their decomposing arms. The entrance to the Vault was close by, but the undead ignored it. The limited intelligence within their rotten brains dictated that they should go only after the flesh of the living… and the only one in the vicinity was the dryad sitting up in the tree.

June chuckled. "Boy, did you choose the wrong day to be here, fellas." She stood up on the branch and took another item from her satchel. It was a short, wooden rod that almost looked like a magic wand. The tip was slightly thicker and gnarled like a tree branch.

She raised the rod above her head. "Taste the power of the Dirt Rod, mold brains!" A tall wall of dirt then rose out of the ground beside the zombies. The dimwitted creatures looked at it for a moment, then they continued to flail their arms in June's direction. She smirked and made a strong downward gesture with the rod. Instantly, the dirt wall came tumbling down, crushing the three zombies under piles of dirt.

Smiling to herself, she put the Dirt Rod back inside her satchel. "Never underestimate a dryad." She picked up her book and glowstick and jumped down the tree, elegantly landing on her feet. It was time to head back inside. In the world of her two new Vault Keepers, it was probably already morning. And it was a Sunday, so they could arrive at any moment. It was probably for the best not to leave the Vault in their care unattended. At least not yet. So June went back into the vault.

She could hear their voices as soon as she set foot in the central corridor. They were coming from the Summoning Chamber… and it sounded like they were in an argument. And… June blinked. Were there more than two voices? She was able to recognize Hiroshi and Daisuke, but she could also hear two female voices.

Frustration started to build up in June as she ran down the corridor and kicked open the door to the Summoning Chamber. "What have you done now, you two?"

The four people in the room looked at her. In addition to the two Vault Keepers, there were also two girls that looked like they were their age.

"June!" Hiroshi waved his arms around in a panic. "I-it's not our fault! You see, the girls just ran over to us…"

"Y-yeah," Daisuke nodded. "And they just touched the mirror. And then… then it brought them here with us. We couldn't do a thing!"

"You idiots," June groaned. "Didn't I tell you NOT to bring other people into the Vault? You were supposed to keep it a secret. No one's allowed in here except for Vault Keepers and assistants!"

Yuka and Sayuri, meanwhile, were looking around in awe. "No way!" Yuka gasped. "What is this place? How did we get here? This isn't Nerima, is it?"

"And who's that half-naked chick?" Sayuri asked, looking at June. "Hey… did you boys take us to some cheap strip club or something?"

June gritted her teeth. "I am NOT a stripper!" she shouted. "I am June the dryad, Vault Keeper assistant. And you are only here because these nincompoops brought you here with the magic mirror. Seriously, you guys! I gave this artifact to you to use it responsibly. Did you even check for onlookers when you decided to use it?"

"Well," Daisuke sheepishly scratched his head. "We might have forgotten to do so because we were so excited for our newest idea how to use one of the orbs."

Hiroshi nodded. "Yeah, and then those two suddenly came around the corner, started blabbering on and when they saw the mirror, they just touched it and…"

"Hey, we were not blabbering," Yuka frowned. "We just wanted to know what you two were up to. We're your girlfriends, for Kami's sake!"

"It doesn't matter who you are," June grumbled. "As long as you're not a Vault Keeper or an assistant, I can't allow you to be here. Now, we will send you back to where you came from… right after I dug out a spell that will wipe your memory."

"What?" Sayuri shouted with outrage. "You can't do that! Those are our memories."

"We can't have too many people know about this place," June said. "It's bad enough that these two scatterbrains are unable to keep a secret. I can't deal with two more."

Yuka turned to glower at Hiroshi. "Do something!" she shouted. "You can't allow her to do that to us."

"Yeah, it's not fair," Sayuri nodded. "Akane goes on all those crazy adventures with Ranma, and now that our boyfriends have this awesome secret, we are forced to stay out of this adventure, too? No way!"

"C… come on now, Juney," Daisuke said. "You can trust the girls. They won't tell anyone, right?"

"Sorry, can't take any risks," June firmly replied. "Everyone non-affiliated with this facility must be mind-wiped. Part of security procedures."

Hiroshi thought about it. "Well, then… make them affiliated."

June glared at him. "What?"

"Think about it," Hiroshi insisted. "They are our girlfriends, so they are obviously a big part of our lives. And that makes it difficult to keep it a secret from them. And if we can't keep it a secret… why not make them part of the plan?"

"Great idea!" Daisuke grinned. "Who says we can't have more than one assistant? I mean, you're obviously the… administrator. You have the experience and keep everything in check. And with us in charge of the relics… we still need someone for the rest of the Vault, right? Someone to take care of the storerooms, the crafting stations…"

"Yeah," Hiroshi nodded. "They can help. Right, girls?"

"Of course we can!" Sayuri grinned excitedly. Yuka seemed a bit hesitant, however.

June approached the two girls and carefully examined them. "You want to make them assistants? I mean… it's actually common practice to hire more assistants who take care of the rest of the Vault. But I was thinking of hiring professionals."

"But… but professionals need to be paid," Sayuri pointed out. "And we don't, see? We'll work for free."

"We do?" Yuka frowned at her exuberant friend.

"And how do I know that these two actually can help?" June asked. "Do they know anything about stock-keeping, craftsmanship, or studying the arcane? I don't have the time to educate them, I have my own duties."

"Well, that's not a problem," Hiroshi said. "Remember what you told us? Whenever there's something we can't do, we can use one of the orbs. Can't we do the same for the girls?"

"Wait, orbs?" Yuka wondered. "What orbs?"

"Oh, they're those magical items that can give you all sorts of awesome abilities," Hiroshi grinned at his girlfriend. "You can be a blacksmith, a guard, a wizard…"

Yuka's eyes widened. "Wizard?"

"Stop telling them about the relics before I agree on anything!" June yelled, making everyone wince. She took a deep breath. "Well… okay… it is true that Vault assistants can make use of the orbs without being changed forever. They have special privileges, just like the Keepers themselves. However, the rules say they are limited to only one class each. So we need to decide on which kind of assistants would be most beneficial for the Vault."

"Does that mean… they can stay?" Daisuke asked hopefully.

"For now, yes," June nodded. "BUT!" she exclaimed as she saw that the four teenagers started cheering. "Just like you, they need to learn the rules. They have to keep a secret from ANYONE, including family. And they can only come here while you accompany them. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear!" Sayuri grinned. "Oh, I can't wait… this is going to be so cool!" She bounced up and down excitedly.

Yuka, however, was still hesitant. "I don't know… my parents don't want me to go anywhere without their consent. Also, is this really such a great thing? Ranma and Akane have lots of adventures, but also a lot of trouble. Isn't all of this going to make our lives much more complicated?"

"But Yuka-chaaan," Sayuri whined. "Aren't you excited? Think about the awesome stuff that's going to happen."

"I am and it's really worrying me," Yuka frowned.

"Come on, Yuka," Hiroshi smiled at her. "We have so many class orbs that can give you all sorts of abilities. I'm sure we'll find one that you'll really enjoy.

"I don't know," she muttered. "I guess… maybe… it depends." She took a deep breath. "You said I could be a… a wizard?"

Hiroshi chuckled. He saw the sparkles of hope in his girlfriend's eyes. She hid it pretty well, but Yuka was actually a huge dork when it came to fantasy, especially magic spells and wizards. "Sure you can!" He looked at June. "Right?"

June sighed. "Yes, there is a wizard orb. And yes, I suppose she can take care of organizing the library and all the spell books we have there. Also, the wizard class comes with a basic understanding of alchemy, so she can take care of potion making too, if we ever need some."

The sparkles in Yuka's eyes became much more prominent. "That really sounds… wonderful and amazing. I'll be Yuka the wizard!"

Sayuri giggled. "Told you you'd like it. So, what about me? Can we go and take a look at the possibilities now?"

"Sure," Hiroshi nodded. "Hey, June. I'm gonna take the girls to the Chamber of Orbs and help them choose something. That okay with you?"

"Fine, as long as you remember the rules," the dryad sighed.

"Awesome!" Sayuri shouted. She, alongside Yuka, followed Hiroshi out of the room.

Daisuke was about to follow them, but June held him back. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Daisuke blinked in surprise. "Um, sure. What's up?"

June closed the door, then walked back to Daisuke with the book she had been reading outside. "I've read about these 'Jusenkyo' curses you told me about," she said. "And I've come to realize that there's a lot we can do with them. You said you wanted to help your friend Ranma, right?"

"Yeah, that's basically it," Daisuke nodded. "He's a great guy, can all these cool combat moves and has tons of hot chicks after him… but I guess his life can be pretty tough sometimes."

"I see. And how do you intend on helping him?" June asked.

Daisuke shrugged. "I… haven't really come up with a good solution yet. I wanted to give him an orb, just like Hiroshi did with Akane… but I doubt he'd accept it. Martial arts are everything to him, you know? He'd never give them up."

"But let's assume for a moment he would accept one of the orbs," June said. "Which one do you think would help him?"

"Well… I was actually thinking about the Orb of Amazon," Daisuke suggested. "See, there are those weird people from China, they are called Amazons. And this crazy, sexy chick named Shampoo… Ranma beat her once. And I guess that means, according to Amazon honor, she must marry him. Or kill him."

"Is that so?" June wondered. "Tell me more." And Daisuke told her everything he knew about the Amazons and their traditions, which wasn't that much, really, but it helped her understand the situation a bit better.

"I see," June pondered. "If a man beats a female Amazon, their law dictates that she must marry him. But if an outsider female beats her, she has to kill her. And since Ranma is more or less both, she has to do one of the two."

"Yeah, I think so," Daisuke nodded. "But I was thinking… if Ranma becomes an Amazon himself, that would mean he's not an outsider anymore. And she didn't have to kill… or marry... him anymore. Right?"

"Technically, you might be right," June admitted. "However, there are two flaws with your plan. Three, counting the fact that he'd never willingly give up being a martial artist."

"And what are the other two?" Daisuke wanted to know.

"First of all, the Amazon orb does NOT turn the user into one of those Amazons you are familiar with, the Chinese ones. The Orb of Amazon instead gives the user the battle abilities, combat gear and the honor of a Themysciran Amazon. Themyscira is a mythical island from another realm, populated by an entire tribe of female Amazons which hails from ancient Greece. They worship the ancient gods of Greece and are excellent warriors. Men are usually not allowed on their island, but some of them have been known to leave their home to fight for humanity and protect innocent ones."

"Sounds just like the code of martial artists that Ranma always talks about," Daisuke realized. "But if he turns into another sort of Amazon, he'd still be an outsider, right?"

"Not necessarily," June smirked. "Some rules and laws conveniently can be taken very literal. Which means he might not be considered an outsider just because he is an Amazon. That's something that we need to make sure of. And then there's another thing."

"What is it?" Daisuke asked.

"Well, some of the orbs are available for one gender only," June explained. "And the Amazons of Themyscira have always been and will always be female. Usually, that would mean that every man who decides to accept the Orb of Amazon's gifts will be turned into a woman, permanently."

"So he'd lose his martial arts AND be a girl forever? Then we can forget it," Daisuke groaned.

June smirked. "Don't give up too soon. See, I've done some research about transformative curses and how they affect the usage of the orbs and essences. If a person has two forms he changes back and forth from on a regular basis… then the magic of the relics will normally affect just ONE of his two forms. And since his cursed form is that of a female… well, we can be certain that the Orb of Amazon will only affect his female side."

"So… what?" Daisuke looked at her in confusion. "So he'll only be an Amazon when he turns female?"

"Exactly!" June smiled. "His male form will be unchanged… which means, he's still going to keep his abilities as a martial artist! At least, as long as he stays in his male form."

"But that's perfect!" Daisuke grinned. "That means we can help him by making him an Amazon, so Shampoo at least doesn't have to kill his girl side anymore… he gets to stay a martial artist and continue the honor of his family's school… and on top of that, as an Amazon, he'll be mainly using armed combat, right? Which means he can still spar with Akane, who also turned into a fighter with weapons." He then sighed. "I just hope everything really works out the way you explained it…"

"There's only one way of finding out," June said. "Bring him the Orb of Amazon. Then we'll see what happens."

"I guess that's the only way we can know, huh," Daisuke said. "All right, it's worth a shot." He turned his head. "Say, are the others still choosing classes? What's taking them so long?"

But soon enough, the giggling and chattering voices of the girls was echoing through the corridor, as they returned. However, it seemed strange to Daisuke that there seemed to be THREE female voices.

The door opened up… and Daisuke had to suppress a snicker.

There were three girls, all right. Yuka was wearing a very stereotypical wizard's outfit: A long, purple robe with very wide sleeves, adorned with stars, a pointy hat with a wide brim and, to top everything off, the most fake-looking beard you could imagine was dangling down from her neck. Sayuri on the other hand was wearing a very practical-looking set of overalls, complete with a tool belt and a huge wrench that was strapped to her back.

And the third girl… was a petite, young thing with blonde hair, wearing a nurse's cap and outfit… and her face was clearly recognizable as a female version of Hiroshi's.

"Um… dude…" Daisuke snorted behind his hand. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Hiroshi said in a cutesy soprano. "I showed Yuka the wizard orb and then we helped Sayuri decide which one to pick. She chose the mechanic orb and she was excited and she wanted to use that big wrench of hers and then she hurt herself… And then Yuka had the greeaaat idea to use the nurse orb so we could deal with Sayuri's injury, but she didn't want to give up her wizard outfit… and, well, there was only one person left who could use it, right?"

"Oh, that's… too bad, buddy," Daisuke chuckled. "Um… nice ponytail, by the way."

"Thanks a lot, Dai," the nurse grumbled.

"Oh, isn't Hiromi-chan just the cuuuutest?" Yuka smiled while she hugged her feminized boyfriend.

"And she did a great job, too," Sayuri grinned as she showed off her bandaged fingers.

While Daisuke did his very best to try and not laugh at his friend's plight, June knew no such restraints. She broke out in guffaws of laughter. "Baaaaaahahahahahaha! Didn't I tell you some orbs were gender-restrictive?" She couldn't stop laughing. "Say, why don't you ask the girls if they wanna give you another hairstyle if that ponytail's not your thing?"

"Ooooh, great idea, June-chan!" Yuka giggled. "Come along now, Hiromi-chan. I've got an idea for a style that's going to look just adooorable on you!"

"You're so lucky, Yuka-chan," Sayuri said. "I wish I had a boyfriend that could test new hairstyles and makeup for me and…" She then gasped. "Hey, June! Are there any other orbs I can use to make Dai-kun a girl, too?"

"Oh, lots of them," the dryad smirked. "There's the maid, the belly dancer, the party girl…"

"June, don't encourage them!" Daisuke went pale as he envisioned himself in Hiroshi's position. "Noooooooo!"

June continued to snicker as she walked back outside. "Have fun…"

* * *

At the Tendo residence, Akane was sitting in her room, inspecting her bow and arrows. She held an arrow in her hand and carefully touched the feathers at its end. Next to her lay a short sword, another piece of ranger equipment she had found in her closet.

It was strange. She knew she had never used any of these weapons before. But still, in her mind, she knew everything that was important. She knew how to handle a blade, how to choose the correct arrows and everything else about archery. How to hold the bow, to keep her eye on the target, the importance of keeping a calm mind.

A small voice in the back of her head asked: Am I really the right person for this fighting style? Maybe she made the wrong decision in a fleeting moment of doubt and weakness.

But she still was a fighter. As long as she was able to defeat her opponent, it was okay, right? She still had her own skillset needed to win. It was still 'Anything Goes'.

A knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts. "Come in," she called.

It was Ranma. "Hey," he said. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"What, are you feeling sorry for the spar you promised me?" Akane asked, then shrugged. "Don't be, I'm over it. Besides, I don't think we'll be able to spar anytime soon…" She looked at the arrow again. "No way of sparring with a martial artist using a short sword and arrows, right?"

"That's actually why I wanted to talk with you," Ranma said. "These… new weapons of yours… that bow you're carrying around, even at school… and earlier today, I watched you doing practice shots in the dojo. That's something you never did before, right?"

"And?" Akane asked. "Are you saying I can't try something new?"

Ranma shook his head. "No, that's not it. But you're doing things you shouldn't be able to. No martial artist can use a new move perfectly just after her learned it. And I doubt it's different with other fighting styles. So I was wondering… did you maybe find some sort of magical relic that gave you these abilities?"

"Wh-what?" Akane stammered. "How did you… I mean… what gave you that idea?"

Ranma pulled a small, orange glowing orb from behind his back. "Lucky guess."

Akane bit her lip. "Oh. So… you got one of those too?"

"Looks like it," Ranma nodded. "Yours is the same, right? Mysterious glow, gives you a message and a choice…"

"Yes, but mine's green," Akane said. "So… did you take the offer?"

"No," Ranma said. "At least, not yet. I was a bit curious about its message, and then I remembered you and your bow. So how did you get it?"

"Um… Hiroshi gave it to me," Akane said. "He was pretty vague about it and ran off as soon as I took it. I haven't had a chance to talk to him ever since."

"Huh, that's odd," Ranma muttered. "I found mine just lying under my futon. Whoever put it there obviously didn't want me to see him."

"And what did your orb say?" Akane asked. "What did it offer? Mine's apparently the Orb of Ranger, but what about yours?"

"Orb of Amazon," Ranma said and winced, expecting Akane to get mad. "Yeah, I know, I know. Shampoo is trouble."

"You're damn right she is!" Akane glowered. "Besides, you giving up martial arts? I hope you're not honestly considering it. I mean, you'd be giving up our families' whole legacy!"

"You're one to talk," Ranma frowned. "Isn't that exactly what you did?"

Akane growled at him and nearly sounded like Ukyo while doing it. "You dumbass! I only did that because I felt that I could never catch up to you! You, Ukyo, Shampoo, Ryoga… I just can't catch up with all of you." She threw up her arms in frustration.

"But giving up the arts?" Ranma muttered. "Is that really worth it, 'Kane?"

"I… I dunno," Akane muttered and lowered her arms. "I thought it was, but… now I'm not so sure. But it's not like it matters anymore, right? The orb said… the exchange is irreversible. I'm stuck with this 'class', as he called it. So please, Ranma…" She stared at her fiance with pleading eyes, a pretty rare sight for him. "Please don't give up being a martial artist. Please don't give up the schools… don't be as foolish as me."

"But… you don't know everything, Akane," Ranma told her. "The orb also told me something else. Apparently, since I have a Jusenkyo curse… I'm a special case. If I decide to make my female side an Amazon… then my male side would still be a martial artist."

"Really?" Akane stared at him. "Sounds a bit too convenient if you ask me. But why would you want to me an Amazon in the first place? A female one at that."

"Think about it," Ranma said. "Why is Shampoo after us? Because I beat her as an outsider. But what if I become an Amazon? Then I'm not an outsider anymore. Makes sense, right?"

"I… guess it does," Akane admitted. "But aren't you taking a big risk here? What if it doesn't work correctly? We don't even know where these orbs are coming from. Shouldn't we at least try to talk to Hiroshi first?"

Before Ranma could answer, something came crashing through Akane's window… an all-too familiar girl with purple hair and a pair of bonbori.

"Shampoo get you this time, mercenary pony!" she shouted. "You give up unicorn horn or Shampoo will…" She blinked and took a look around the room which she just trashed. "Oh… this is not mercenary pony's room, is violent girl's room. Oops…"

Akane angrily shook off pieces of debris. "Shampoo!" she yelled at the Chinese girl. "Get it through your thick head already, we have doors!"

"Door just slow Shampoo down," the Amazon shrugged. "Oh well, you just get out of my way and I go find unicorn sister, yes?"

"Whatever you want from Nabiki, you're not getting it," Ranma sternly said. "Shampoo, why are you doing this? Isn't it enough that you have to bother us again and again? Do ya have to go after our families now, too?"

"Oh airen!" Shampoo smiled. "Shampoo only do this for you, see? Soon you be Shampoo's husband, then she no longer attacks and you can be happy, yes?"

Akane drew her short sword. "Over my dead body, you Chinese bimbo!"

"Shampoo can arrange that, violent girl," the Amazon yelled as she attacked. Metal clashed with metal as the two girls went at each other.

"This is getting ridiculous," Ranma sighed. "I have to end this once and for all." He reached for the Orb of Amazon and held it up in front of his face. "Hey, orb-thing. I accept your gift!"

Akane was getting worried. There simply wasn't enough space in her room to make proper use of her bow, and Shampoo was obviously at an advantage in close combat. But just as she considered luring Shampoo outside, a bright orange flash illuminated the area, blinding both combatants momentarily. "What the…?"

"Aiya! Shampoo no can see!"

As the bright light disappeared, the two girls witnessed an incredible sight…

A tall, muscular, female figure, dressed from head to toe in an awe-inspiring, Greek-styled battle outfit with a shimmering breastplate that emphasized her ample bust and a leather skirt that showed off her strong legs. The sunrays falling through the broken window were reflected off the surface of a beautiful, round shield she was holding in one hand and made the sword in her other hand shimmer and shine. Her flaming red hair was bound in a long pigtail that hung down lower than her hips, and on her head she was wearing a masterfully-crafted piece of headgear that looked like a mix between a helmet and a tiara.

She pointed her sword at Shampoo and shouted in a powerful voice: "Cease your aggression, Amazon sister! Lay down your arms and leave her alone, or else I will be forced to put you down."

For a moment, everything was quiet. Shampoo and Akane couldn't help but stare at the female warrior.

Then Akane blurted out: "RANMA?"

The armored woman then looked down at herself and gasped. "Great Hera! Whatever did that accursed artifact do to me?" She then let out a groan when she realized what she just said. "By the gods… my manner of speech is just like that of Kuno."

"Airen?" Shampoo let out a gasp of astonishment. "But what… what happened to you? You… are not an Amazon… are you?"

Akane sighed. "Just fantastic… looks like the orb was talking of an entirely different kind of Amazon."

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _Themyscira and Wonder Woman belong to DC Comics._


	6. Essence of Kokiri

_Author's Notes_ _: After reading several reviews of the previous version of this chapter, I decided to delete that version and redo it with several changes, after several readers felt it was rushed. The story is no longer considered a crossover with Terraria and the sidestory with the tunnel has been removed. From now on, I will try and focus more on the characters of Nerima and their usual banter and mayhem. June and the Vault will still play a considerable role, but it will be downplayed and spread over the following few chapters._

* * *

Shampoo looked at Ranma with wide eyes. "Airen? What… you… What happen to you?"

The athletic swordswoman approached the smaller, Chinese girl. "Lay down your weapons, Amazon. This fight does not have to continue. Or do you intend on assaulting an Amazon sister?"

"No!" Shampoo then shouted. "You NOT Amazon! You NOT Shampoo's sister! You're my airen!" She then turned around and leapt out of the window.

Akane lowered her blade. "Well, at least she's gone now." She took a closer look at Ranma. "You look amazing," she said with awe. "Obviously this is what the orb considers an Amazon. But why did it change your behavior when it didn't do the same thing for me?"

"My actions are still my own," Ranma explained as she sheathed her sword. "Yet I feel an… urge to express myself like this." She carefully tested the weight of her sword and shield. "These weapons feel natural to me now. I am filled with the capabilities on an Amazon warrior, yet at the same time, also with Amazon pride. It's as if… being an Amazon is more than just using their arms, skills and strategies."

"I guess that makes some sense," Akane said. "But there's a lot I'm still wondering. Where do Amazons like the one you turned into come from? How did we get those orbs and what do Daisuke and Hiroshi have to do with them? And what is it that Shampoo wants from Nabiki?"

"My horn, apparently." Nabiki slowly came trotting into Akane's room and examined the broken window and Ranma's new form. "Well, I must say, Ranma… you certainly don't look like you need to go to the gym anytime soon." She whistled as she looked at the red-head's biceps. "Damn girl… does being an Amazon come with a membership card?"

"Hold your tongue, treacherous equine!" Ranma exclaimed with a stern glare. "Lest you wish to incur the wrath of an Amazon warrior!"

"Wow… that orb definitely seems to have given you a long-needed spine, Saotome," the unicorn sneered. "Too bad it took the powers of a magical artifact until you developed it."

With a single step, Ranma closed the distance towards the diminutive pony.

"Take it easy, Ranma," Akane said as she grabbed her currently female, archaic fiance. "It's just Nabiki being Nabiki, you know how she is. But wait a second… you know about the orbs, sis?"

"Oh please," Nabiki huffed. "My room is right next door. Subtlety has never been a strength of either of you two. I heard everything, from your discussion about the orbs to Shampoo's dramatic entrance and Ranma's… flamboyant speech."

Ranma growled as her hand wandered back to the hilt of her sword. "You tread on thin ice, hooved one."

"Can you turn back to normal already?" Akane groaned. "This archaic speech is honestly starting to get on my nerves."

"I… must confess, complete control over my words is beyond me at the moment," Ranma admitted. "Truth to be told, I feel a certain amount of… anxiety, for this is not who I am meant to be. Let us pray to the gods that this sorcery can be undone."

"Well, only one way to find out, right?" Nabiki smirked… and splashed Ranma with a cup filled with hot water.

"YEOUCH!" Ranma yelped as the scalding hot water burnt his skin and turned him back to his normal, male self. Even his clothes had transformed back, while the shield and the sword vanished into thin air. "Did ya have to BOIL the water, Nabiki?"

"I guess I overdid it," the pony smirked. "Still, you can't argue with the results." She floated the empty cup back towards her. "Unicorn magic… what would I do without it? I guess you should call me the great and powerful Nabiki. You're welcome, by the way."

"So he still can turn back to normal with hot water," Akane sighed. "That's a relief."

"Yeah, no kidding," Ranma agreed. "I mean, I admit that new form was pretty badass. But I'm still not ready to be a girl all of my life. Or to lose my martial arts, on top of that."

"Do you remember how to use your all of your martial arts techniques?" Akane asked.

He nodded. "Yup, it's all there. All the things the old bat and pops ever taught me… including the neko-ken, to my disappointment. Pretty much everything is still there. While I was transformed, I couldn't remember how to do any of it… but then again, I didn't really want to. This weird Amazon pride I felt within me made it feel good to fight with a sword and shield."

"Does that mean the orbs affect our behavior?" Akane asked. "But I haven't felt anything like that… yet. Maybe I will at some point?" She felt a bit of worry at that. She shook her head and tried to focus on something else for now. "Say, Nabiki… Shampoo said she wanted to have your horn. What's up with that?"

"I can't say for sure, but she said she needed it for some sort of potion, apparently for some sort of plot involving Ranma," Nabiki explained.

"Figures," Ranma groaned. "It was just a matter of time before she tried something like that again. I really need to have a talk with the old ghoul… but first things first. We should definitely ask Hiroshi and Daisuke what they know about the orbs as soon as we get a hold of them."

"I'm with you," Akane nodded. "And if they don't want to give us any answers… I can always get Sayuri and Yuka. Those two are always able to get information out of their boyfriends."

* * *

But Akane would have to wait until she and Ranma had the chance to talk to Hiroshi and Daisuke again. The following days, circumstances always seemed to hinder them from speaking to the dweeb duo, or their girlfriends. At first it was Kuno, demanding once again that Ranma released the pig-tailed girl from his spell. Ranma wished nothing more than to turn into his female side right in front of him to finally prove to him that he was the pig-tailed girl… but he hesitated when he imagined what his new proud, stubborn Amazon self would do to the samurai-wannabe. And on the next day, Ukyo had decided to literally dogpile on top of Ranma right after class, showering him with canine kisses… which in her case meant a whole bunch of licks from her big tongue. It took Ranma at least half an hour to get the worgen girl from his chest, and then the same amount of time to stop Akane from putting a leash on Ukyo. And every single time, Hiroshi and Daisuke managed to sneak away.

Two days later after she and Sayuri were accepted as Vault Keeper assistants, Yuka was sitting in the Vault's library, with a pile of books on the table next to her. Most of them were ancient tomes filled with magical spells. And that was just a small amount compared to the endless rows of books inside the bookcases aligning at the walls. The table was big and old, and made of mahogany. A golden candelabra with several candlesticks was standing in the middle, just enough to fill the room with a dim, flickering light.

Yuka could have switched on the electric lights on the ceiling, but she liked this sort of atmosphere. Back at home, in the evenings, she always enjoyed lying under her blanket and reading books with just a flashlight. However, she admitted to herself that this situation was much better. For once, she wasn't reading exciting stories about wizards and their magical adventures. This time, she WAS the wizard.

She still wasn't very satisfied with the clothes the orb had given her. She was determined to do something about it. And after finding a simple Change Garment spell in one of the books, she decided to put her newfound magical powers to the test.

She put the book down on the table and made a small gesture with her right hand. "Vestimenta mutare," she chanted and felt the magic flowing through her body. Her robes started glowing with arcane power and changed shape. After the spell was done, she stepped in front of a large mirror and admired herself. Instead of hanging down from her body like a bathrobe, the robes were now much more comfortable and close-fitting. Sure, they showed a bit more skin here and there, but that was part of the appeal. And the skimpiness was kept within a limit. Her wizard hat had shrunk down to fit her smaller head and the fake beard disappeared completely.

"Much better," she smiled to herself. "Maybe there's also a new spell to change my hairstyle, but for now it's enough. Now, let's take another look at those spells." She sat back down at the table and opened one of the other books, a compendium of combat spells. "Oooooh, look at that," she gushed. "Magic Missile, Water Bolt, Vilethorn… I must try them all out."

Just then, the library door opened, and Hiroshi walked in. Yuka shielded her eyes from the light that was radiating from the central corridor. She looked up from her book and scowled at her boyfriend, annoyed that her cozy reading atmosphere was ruined.

"Hey Yuka," he said with a smile. "Daisuke and Sayuri are in the crafting room, trying out their now orb abilities. You wanna come, too?"

"Is that what you're doing while I was in here?" Yuka asked. "Aren't you supposed to take care of the orbs and essences? Does June even know what you're doing?"

"June is the one who suggested it," Hiroshi told her. "And trying to come up with new ideas how to use the relics is not as easy as it sounds… we need a small break."

"All right," Yuka finally relented. "I guess it might be a good idea to get outside the library for a while. But I'm taking this with me." She put the book she had been reading into a small satchel, similar to the one June had been using. It was a gift from the dryad to the new assistant wizard. She put the rest of the books away, extinguished the candles and closed the door behind her as she went out.

While following Hiroshi down the corridor, she took note of his new set of clothes. "Did you try out a new kind of orb? Which one did you choose this time?"

Hiroshi was wearing heavy leather pants, a vest and boots. On his head, he wore a miner's helmet, complete with flashlight. He carried a long, wooden pole over his shoulder, which was attached to a small lantern. He also had a heavy backpack and an iron pickaxe strapped to his back. "Cool, huh?" he smirked. "I'm a demolitionist now. Well, I guess technically I'm also a miner, but my specialty in this form are explosives." He opened his backpack to show her a small collection of bombs.

Yuka looked at them skeptically. "I don't know whether I should be proud to have such a cool and amazing boyfriend, or worried that you might blow us all to smithereens if you actually think of using explosives."

"You know the orbs always come with the knowledge of how to use these things," Hiroshi said. "So there's no danger."

"They may have the knowledge, but what about common sense?" she quipped.

Hiroshi just smirked. With a sigh, she followed him into the crafting room, where Sayuri and Daisuke were busy working on different things.

Sayuri, in her mechanic's outfit, was attaching wires at the walls of the room, using one of her many tools. Meanwhile, Daisuke was wearing some sort of lab coat, a pair of strange-looking goggles and, just like Sayuri, a tool belt. He was standing next to a small workbench that was placed in one corner of the room. Several mechanical parts were strewn across its surface.

"There you guys are," Daisuke said as he turned around. His grin made him look like a mad scientist. "Hey Yuka, how'd you like my new tinkerer's outfit?"

"It… fits you," Yuka simply stated. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to construct the most magnificent of inventions," Daisuke said. "A pair of ROCKET BOOTS!."

"Rocket boots?" Yuka frowned. "Why would you need those?"

Daisuke looked at her over the edge of his goggles. "Why would you need any of your spell books, Hermione Granger? I never said I needed them, I just wanted to see if I could make a working pair. And thanks to the infinite well of creativity this orbs has given me, my work will soon be complete!"

"You've been saying that the past two hours, goggle boy," Sayuri snickered as she took a break from her work. "But I've looked over your shoulder several times this past hour and you haven't made the slightest bit of progress. Meanwhile, I equipped the whole south wall with wires and switches, all on my own."

"Nice job, Sayuri-chan," Yuka smiled. "And what are those for?"

"Oh, I have some ideas," Sayuri said, wiping her dirty hands. "There are several things we could install that need the electricity provided with those wires. I was thinking of an elevator for the main shaft, electric pumps and pipes to give the recreation room a supply of fresh water, automatic doors, maybe some traps…"

"I really don't think we need traps of any kind," Hiroshi pointed out.

"Hey, better be safe than sorry, right?" Sayuri shrugged. "I mean, we don't really know what this world has in store for us. If there are slimes and zombies on the surface, who knows when they'll figure out how to come down the shaft to attack? But all right, I'll start with the doors, that seems simple enough. And Daisuke is going to help me."

"But I'm nearly finished with my work on the rocket boots," Daisuke protested. "This is a breakthrough for science!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Sayuri grabbed her boyfriend by the collar of his coat and pulled him over to the door. "You're going to help me, like it or not."

Daisuke tried walking back to his workbench, but Sayuri's grip on him was too strong. "But… but science!" he weakly protested as he flailed his arms while being pulled out of the room.

"Hey, Hiroshi," Yuka asked her boyfriend. "Do you get the feeling that Daisuke is acting kind of… weird?"

"I know what you mean," Hiroshi muttered with a nod. "Ever since he used the Orb of Tinkerer, he started to act more and more like the stereotypical crazy scientist from the movies. But… let's be honest here, Dai is a huge goofball. It's just like him to act like that in his new role."

"That might be it," Yuka pondered. "But what if it's something else? Can it be that the orb is actually affecting his behavior?"

"I would think too much about it," a voice said from the door. They turned their heads and saw June walking in. "As I said, the orbs are remains of fallen heroes. It just makes sense that fragments of their personalities are still kept within. And the more powerful their personality was, the more likely it is to emerge. Aside from that, the person using the orb is still the same person as before."

"That's a relief," Hiroshi said. "I wouldn't want Dai to become some sort of lunatic mad scientist with delusional plan to take over the world."

"And I wouldn't want to you to become a crazed bomber that enjoys blowing stuff up," Yuka added.

"Oh yeah… I guess there's that, too," Hiroshi nodded.

June came over to them and examined Yuka's new outfit. "I see you've practicing your magic," she smiled. "Good to see you're making progress."

"Thanks!" Yuka beamed with pride.

"Now, I've been thinking," June said, looking at Hiroshi. "Those Chinese Amazons seem to be the cause for a lot of the conflicts in Nerima, isn't that right?"

"Yeah, that's about right," Hiroshi confirmed. "Shampoo's one of the most reckless martial artists in Nerima, second only to the Kunos. And her great-grandmother is one of the most powerful fighters I've ever seen."

"So it would make sense to focus our attention on them next, right?" June asked. "What do you propose should be done, Vault Keeper?"

Hiroshi thought about it for a moment. "The only reason they are here is because Ranma beat Shampoo and she wants him to marry her. I was hoping using the Amazon orb would have taken care of that problem, but I guess that would have been too easy. So what I suggest instead is… that we use an essence instead."

"You want to turn that Shampoo girl into something so she won't be a problem anymore?" June looked at him skeptically. "You tried that before with Nabiki, remember? And we all know how wonderful that turned out."

"We didn't know being a unicorn would also give her magical powers," Hiroshi defended himself. "Also, that was the first time we ever used one of the relics, so give us a break."

"Wait, Nabiki was a human before?" Yuka's eyes widened. "Really? I can't imagine her being anything but that cute, cuddly pony. When we first met Akane and her sister, I remember Sayuri being so overly affectionate that Nabiki levitated her up into a tree." She giggled. "And still, Sayuri never gave up on her dream of riding her one day."

"That's the power of the Essence of Unicorn affecting you," June explained. "It was used on her before you became a Vault Keeper assistant, so your memories of Nabiki were altered as soon as she drank it."

"But this is different," Hiroshi claimed. "This time, we won't even try to take away her combat abilities. But instead, we're going to make sure that she isn't interested in Ranma anymore… at least not romantically."

"It seems like you already have a plan," June said. "Let's hear about it."

* * *

The next day, after school, the two Vault Keepers and their girlfriends met in front of the school. Back in their civilian forms, of course.

"So, let's see how we are gonna do this," Hiroshi said. "Dai, do you have the bottle?"

"Yup, got it right here." Daisuke pulled a bottle of green essence out of his bag.

"But how are we going to take it to Shampoo's place?" Yuka asked. "It's not like we can just sneak into the Nekohanten, right?"

"If we're smart, we won't even have to," Sayuri said. "Just make sure you don't lose the bottle, Dai-honey."

"No need to worry, Sayuri," Daisuke grinned as he raised the bottle high above his head. "I will keep an iron grip on it, and as long as I'm holding it, no one will…"

"I'll be taking that," a familiar voice said while the bottle of essence was pulled out of Daisuke's grasp.

"Nabiki!" Hiroshi gasped as he saw how the teal unicorn pony levitated the bottle towards herself. "Daisuke, you dolt! Didn't we just tell you NOT to lose it?"

"I wouldn't be so harsh on him, my magic always helps me get what I want," Nabiki said. "Now, what were you going to do with this?"

"Yeah, what's this all about, guys?" Ranma asked as he and Akane stepped next to Nabiki. "First that stunt with those orbs and now those weird drinks. Care to tell us what you're doing?"

"Guys… I think it's time to leave," Hiroshi muttered. "Come on, Yuka!" He took his girlfriend's hand as he turned around to run… only to bump into a solid wall of fur and muscle."

"Oh no, you don't," Ukyo growled. "We're not stupid, you know? You did put something in my drink the other day."

"And in mine as well," Nabiki added. "Don't think I didn't notice. I was too distracted to realize it when I drank it, but it did taste somewhat strange, like cotton candy mixed with oranges. I don't really know what it was supposed to do, but it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

"The jig is up, guys," Akane put her hands on her hips. "Now why don't you fill us in on what this is all about. Yuka, Sayuri… you're in on this, aren't you?"

The two girls winced a bit, feeling guilty. "Please, Akane-chan," Sayuri said. "We didn't mean any harm."

"Sh… she's right, you know?" Hiroshi spoke up. "We only wanted to help."

"By giving us magical artifacts that give us strange abilities and take away our old ones?" Ranma frowned. "How would that help? And where did you get them in the first place."

"We… we can't tell you," Daisuke said. "We made a promise."

"Really? All of you?" Akane looked along the four fellow students of Furinkan that stood in front of her, looking a bit guilty, but at the same time, also awfully secretive.

"It's a secret," Yuka told her. "We promised to help Daisuke and Hiroshi, but we had to swear not to tell anyone about it."

"Not even your closest friends?" Akane frowned.

Her words stung a bit, but Yuka wasn't ready yet to spill the beans. Betraying June would probably also mean losing her newfound wizard abilities… and she wasn't willing to give those up.

Hiroshi looked at Ranma. "I'm sorry, buddy." He crossed his arms. "But we won't tell."

Ranma groaned. "Just great…"

"Just leave them to me," Nabiki smirked. "I know a few tricks how to wrestle a secret from someone who's stubborn…"

"And if that doesn't work, I can probably make them talk," Ukyo added with a grin, punching her fist into the palm of her left hand."

Sayuri eeped. "N-n-now, let's not be too hasty, you guys…"

"We didn't really hurt anyone," Daisuke said. "And we don't plan on doing so, honest. Can't we just leave it at that?" Ranma and Akane were their friends, but he really didn't want to find out what Ukyo would do to them… or even worse, Nabiki.

"Let's start with the matters at hand, shall we?" Nabiki said. "We overheard you saying something about the Nekohanten. Is that were you got those things from?" It would make sense, she thought. Cologne was the local expert on potions and magical items. "That's it, isn't it? You're in cahoots with Cologne. Is this one of her new potions? Is this why she needs my horn?"

"What?" Hiroshi and Daisuke gaped simultaneously. Did Nabiki seriously believe that?

But before they could deny anything, a long chain with a big sack attached to it came flying out of nowhere, scooped up both Nabiki and the bottle of essence and pulled her up into the air before anyone was able to intervene.

The sack landed in the hands of Shampoo, who was standing on a wall nearby. And the chain… disappeared in the wide sleeves of the glasses-wearing, young man standing next to her… Mousse, the Chinese master of hidden weapons.

The Chinese girl smiled. "Shampoo is so sorry to, how do you say, crashing the party. But she still need mercenary pony's horn. And I think great-grandmother will want to look at interesting potion you have there." She quickly tied the sack up and threw it over her shoulder. Within it, Nabiki groaned and struggled to get out. This is really getting old, she thought to herself.

Shampoo giggled. "Don't bother, is magic-proof sack, yes? Mercenary pony only get out when Shampoo says so."

"She's got the bottle!" Sayuri shouted. "Daisuke, do something!"

"What do you want me to do?" Daisuke asked. "Have you seen how strong Shampoo is? She's gonna wipe the floor with me."

"What's going on?" Ranma asked in confusion. "Does that mean they're not working with the Amazons?"

"Ask questions later, Ranma," Akane shouted. "We need to get that bottle back… and Nabiki, while we're at it."

"Aw, do we have to?"

"Ranma!"

"Just kidding, just kidding… Yo, Shampoo! Come down here now and drop the unicorn."

"Sorry, airen, Shampoo has no time to play," she smiled. "Mousse, be a dear and play with Ranma for me for a while, yes? Just don't hurt him too much."

"With pleasure, my dearest Shampoo," Mousse said as he extended his claw weapons from his robe. "This is it, Saotome… today, you are mine!" He leapt into the air.

"Not this time, Mousse!" Akane shouted as she stepped forward. She took her bow, drew an arrow… and fired it at the bespectacled martial artist.

"That won't stop me!" shouted Mousse as he slashed the arrow apart in midair… releasing a sudden cloud of dust that blinded him and made him cough. "Wh-what?" he gasped and dropped to the ground. "I can't see… and I'm sure I have my glasses on this time."

"Smokescreen arrow." Akane smirked. "You're not the only one with tricks up his sleeves, Mousse."

"Nicely done," Ranma smiled. "You take care of Mousse, I'm getting that bottle from Shampoo."

"No, we will take it," Sayuri shouted. While everyone was distracted, she had opened her bag, taken out a pair of strange-looking boots and attached them to her boyfriend's feet.

"Wait, what?" Daisuke stared at his girlfriend with disbelief. "You brought the rocket boots? Sayuri, I told you they are still in the experimentation phase, I still need to test them…"

"Well, no time like the present!" Sayuri grinned and pulled a lever at the backside of the boots. "One, two, three, LIFTOFF!"

"Saaayuuuuriiiiiii!" Daisuke screeched like a banshee when the rocket boots flared up and propelled him into the air at high velocity… right into Shampoo's body. The Amazon gasped as she was thrown off the wall she was standing on, together with Daisuke and the sack containing Nabiki.

"Wooooow, what a rush," Daisuke groaned as he tried to regain his bearings. "At least I landed on something soft." He was right, his head was cushioned on top of something soft and pillow-like… Shampoo's breasts.

"GAH! Rocket boy watch where he flies! And get off Shampoo!" the Amazon shouted as she pushed him off. She then looked around. "Where is sack?"

"I got it!" Daisuke shouted as he dove for it. He quickly tore it open and grabbed inside to pull out the bottle…

"OW! Get your hands off my horn, you moron!"

"N-nabiki?" Daisuke asked as he realized he was not holding the bottle of essence in his hand, but instead the horn of a thoroughly pissed off unicorn pony. "Get out of my way," she shouted as she shook off the sack and ran for it, trampling the hapless Daisuke in the process.

"Wait, no no no, ow ow ow OW OW OW!" he yelped while his body was in the process of being covered in hoof prints. "The bottle, where's the bottle!"

"Shampoo got it!" the Chinese girl said with a grin as she picked up the essence bottle from the ground. "Mercenary pony got away, but at least I can take this to great-grandmother."

"Don't take that," Daisuke said as he tried to pry himself off the ground. "Ow, ow… and most importantly, don't drink it."

"Oh? Why not?" Shampoo wondered. "What is it?"

"It's, um… a special potion that… makes everyone incredibly attracted to… to the one who drinks it. We, uh… we wanted to give this to Akane, to… to help her get along with Ranma."

Hiroshi looked at his friend with respect. He never would have thought Daisuke would come up with such a ploy."

"Oh yes?" Shampoo grinned. "Well, too bad for violent girl. Shampoo will take this for herself and…"

"Oh no, you don't" Ranma shouted as he jumped in her way.

Meanwhile, Yuka was trying to come up with a way to stop Mousse from attacking her friend. Nervously, she took one of her spell books out of her bag and thumbed through it. "Orb of Light? No no, that won't work… Bubble Gun, Flash of Discord, ARGH! None of these will work. Oh right, then how about this… Magic Missile!" She raised her hand and chanted a quick spell that created a small spark of magical energy, which she fired from her hand at the hidden weapons master's back. However, Mousse was just about to throw one of his training potty weapons at Akane… the magic projectile hit the training potty instead of his body and knocked it out of his hands. After that, the magic bounced off to wildly fly through the air, bouncing off different objects and nearly hitting Nabiki's face as she galloped away from Shampoo.

"AH! Watch where you're firing that thing!" she shouted and managed to duck her head just in time. At the same time, all she could think about was: WHAT? She knows magic spells? And they are more powerful than mine? How dare she?

"Dangit," Mousse grumbled as his training potty was knocked away. "But it doesn't matter, I still have plenty of weapons left." And he kept advancing on Akane.

"And I have plenty of arrows left," shouted the young archer as she took another one from her quiver. "You can't slash them all."

"Let's see about that, shall we?" Mousse exclaimed as he got ready to strike. But then… he was hit in the face by Yuka's magic missile, which had been still ricocheting all over the place and had now finally hit her target. He grunted as he was thrown back, and his glasses were blasted off his face.

"No, I can't see!" he shouted. "Where are you?"

Ranma was facing Shampoo. "Will you now stop running and give me that bottle?" he asked. "Just tell us what they're all about, already!"

"But Shampoo don't know," she insisted. "That's why I will ask great-grandmother about it."

"She is right, this bottle does not belong to her," another voice said. It was a girl's voice Ranma was not familiar with. He looked to his left… and saw none other than June the dryad standing there.

"That bottle of essence is under the custody and responsibility of my masters," she said sternly. "And neither of you shall have it until they allow it."

"June?" Hiroshi had just helped his battered friend up to his feet and looked over to the dryad in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

June gave them a quick glance of annoyance. "Honestly, can't I ever leave you two alone for a moment? Now stand back and let me take care of this mess." She held out her hand towards Shampoo, demandingly. "Now hand over the bottle!"

Shampoo gritted her teeth. "Strange naked lady wants it? Then come and get it!" And she started running.

"No, I'm taking it," Ranma yelled as he ran towards her.

June simply raised her Dirt Rod and a towering wall of dirt rose up in-between Ranma and Shampoo. Threateningly, she approached the young Amazon. "Hand it over, for your own good…"

"Moko Takabisha!" A powerful blast of Ki shattered the wall of dirt. Ranma jumped over its remains, determination in his eyes.

"You're getting on my nerves…" June grumbled. She tightened her grip around the Dirt Rod. "Titan's Fist!" The dirt of the collapsed wall came flying towards her and compacted around the rod and her hand, creating a massive fist. With a battle cry, she jumped towards the pig-tailed martial artist. Ranma leapt back just in time, and the fist left a deep crack in the pavement.

"June, what are you doing?" Hiroshi shouted. "Don't attack Ranma!"

"Stay out of this!" she shouted. "He may be your friend, but he's hindering me from getting the essence back." She also didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to feel a rush she hadn't felt in eons. Finally, she was fighting a worthy opponent once again.

"This is getting crazy," Sayuri said as she ran up to Yuka. "Do something!"

"Um… um… give me a moment…" the young wizard mumbled as she tried to find a suitable spell. "Um… Water Bolt!" With another chant, she created a projectile made of water. She carefully aimed it at Shampoo. "I'll just trigger her Jusenkyo curse. As a cat, she'll be unable to carry that heavy bottle."

"Shampoo, my love!" Mousse shouted as he hugged Yuka from behind. "Did that fiend Saotome hurt you?"

"AH! Oh no, the spell!" Yuka gasped as Mousse disturbed her aim and the Water Blot flew in a different direction… until it hit the back of Ranma's head.

"Surrender!" June shouted as she tried to land another punch with her giant dirt fist. But then she heard a metallic clang, and the fist was stopped by a powerful force.

She looked past her weapon and her eyes widened when she realized that Ranma had turned from a somewhat regular-sized young man into a towering woman with bulging muscles. Using her shield, she had blocked the dryad's attack, while her soggy wet pigtail was dangling down onto her scabbard.

The Themysciran Amazon swiftly moved her hair out of the way and drew her blade. "By the might of Zeus, you shall rue the day you challenged the might of an Amazon!"

"Oh, drat…" June groaned. "Today is not my day… what else can go wrong?"

At that moment, Nabiki was trying to get away from the mayhem and carnage as fast as her four hooves could carry her. "Ukyo!" she shouted. "Hide meeee… I'm a thinker, not a fighter!"

"Oh, well okay," the worgen girl said. "Just get behind me and… I'll make sure you're safe."

Nabiki quickly darted in-between the okonomiyaki chef's furry legs and came to a stop behind her. Even though she had magic, she felt tiny and helpless on the battlefield. "Good. I'll, um… just stand here, then. Th-thank you."

Ukyo smiled. Somehow, she started enjoying the role of being the small unicorn's protector.

* * *

Shampoo had left the battlefield behind and was on her way back to the Nekohanten. She knew it was just a matter of time before Ranma and the others came after her, so she had to be quick. She still didn't know what this bottle contained. But after everyone was so intent on getting it from her, she figured that it must be something special. She grinned when she remembered what Daisuke told her about the potion's effects. She couldn't wait to try it out herself.

When she reached the restaurant, she quickly ran inside. Fortunately, there were no customers present at the time. "Great-grandmother! Great-grandmother!"

"What is it, child?" Cologne, the diminutive elder of the Joketsuzoku Amazon tribe, came hopping towards Shampoo on top of her oversized cane. "You look like you're in a hurry."

"Quick, great-grandmother." Shampoo showed the bottle to the old woman. "Airen, violent girl and others are after Shampoo, trying to get back this bottle. Mousse hold them off, but he can't forever. You must find out what this is, great-grandmother."

"Weren't you trying to gather that unicorn horn?" Cologne frowned. "Now where did you get this from?" She carefully took the bottle from her younger relative's hands and studied it carefully.

"Airen's friends from school had it," Shampoo explained. "They got strange new power. Violent girl was talking about magic orbs, and one girl cast magic spells. And then there was other, new girl. She was almost naked, had plants on her body and threw dirt at Airen."

That got Cologne's attention. "A girl with plant clothing that controlled dirt?" she asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, great-grandmother," Shampoo nodded.

"Hmmmmmm..:" Cologne stroked her chin. "This might all be a coincidence, but that reminds me of something… an old legend I once heard, about an ancient tribe of nature spirits who were able to use their innate magic to control dirt and plants. Could that girl possibly be… a dryad?" She looked back at the bottle. "And this green concoction… it looks like vegetable juice, but I can see it is much more than that. I can sense there is some ancient power flowing in this bottle. And what does this label say? Essence of… what? Hmmmm… Now that is a word I have never heard before."

"They say potion makes drinker attractive to other people," Shampoo said. "Maybe Shampoo can drink it to win airen's heart?"

"Don't be so foolish, child," Cologne scolded her. "Would you drink anything you have taken from an enemy? I thought I taught you better than that. Always be careful around strange, unknown potions and liquids. I will analyze the contents of this bottle. You wait here… and if son-in-law or his friends arrive, make sure they don't disturb me for a while."

Shampoo sighed. "Yes, great-grandmother."

* * *

Cologne carried the bottle to her room. She placed it on a table and looked through some other potions she had stored on a shelf. But none of them were looking anything like the green essence.

"Maybe I'll find something in one of my books," she muttered to herself. "Of course, I could always just drink it to find out what it does… but that would be foolish."

She chuckled to herself as she imagined how every good-looking man in Nerima was smitten with her old, wrinkly form. It was an amusing image… but even if it were true, she didn't think it would be quite as enjoyable if she wasn't young and good-looking herself. She continued searching through several of her books.

The bottle on her table was catching her eye again. The green liquid inside seemed to swirl around… it was almost hypnotizing, as if it wanted to lure her over. Did it want to be consumed?

"Nice try," she smiled. "But this Amazon has more than enough experience with dubious substances. I'm not falling for your tricks."

After a while, she couldn't ignore or deny it anymore: The urge to go over to the table and take a drink grew stronger and stronger, the longer she was in its presence. She considered putting it away in a box, then she thought it would be better to just leave the room. But she still stayed and kept her eyes on the swirling essence inside.

She couldn't stop it any longer. She realized this was a devious trap. Whoever created this essence obviously wanted to ensure that it would be used at some point. She had heard of magical items that were difficult to resist, but she never knew it could happen with a potion. She couldn't help but admire the essence's creator, he no doubt had to be a master at his craft.

"You really want me to drink you, do you?" she calmly said as she walked back to the table. "You sneaky little green liquid. Maybe you weren't even meant for me. Maybe it was for Shampoo or someone else. And I really don't know what your effects will be. Obviously, the boy was lying. But what will you do once I drink you, hmmm?"

She let out a long sigh. It was very disheartening to have lived so long and be outwitted by a drink in a bottle. But there was no way of escaping the urging need any longer. And maybe whatever happens to her won't be that bad.

So she took the bottle, uncorked it and took a big gulp.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, Shampoo was still waiting in the front room of the Nekohanten. She was an impatient girl however, and didn't like just sitting around and doing nothing. Also, she had wanted to drink that essence herself. She just barely managed to overcome its temptation, because her loyalty to her great-grandmother and the tribe was stronger than anything. But now she wished she hadn't done it.

With a frustrated groan, she followed Cologne to her room. She knocked at the door. "Great-grandmother? You have finished analyzing bottle?"

A soft giggle coming from inside made her frown. She opened the door and stepped inside.

The room had changed. A lot of different plants were added and created the impression that this room was a small meadow in a forest. One big tree branch even grew in from outside, through the window. A children-sized swing was hanging down from it. In addition to Cologne's old books and potions, several small toys were strewn across the room. And on top of the table was a small assortment of seeds and nuts.

Shampoo looked around. Cologne was nowhere to be seen. "Great-grandmother?"

An impish giggle sounded through the room, and suddenly a small face appeared in front of Shampoo, belonging to a young child.

Shampoo let out a short gasp and then a groan. "Great-grandmother… you forgot about the potion, no?"

The young girl was swinging back and forth as she hang down from the tree branch with her legs. She was wearing a forest green outfit, and her dark blue hair dangled down into Shampoo's face, as it swung along with her. "Nope," she giggled. "But I was getting bored, so I started to play. You wanna play too, Shampoo?"

"Please, you are elder of Joketsuzoku Amazon tribe. Why you behave like child?"

"Because…" Cologne dropped down from her branch, turned around in midair and landed on her naked feet. "I am a forest child and never age. And I might be playful and cute, buuut… remember that I am muuuch older than you, and also wiser." She grinned. "And don't you forget it!"

Shampoo shook her head and crouched down in front of her child-like great-grandmother. "So what is potion for?"

"No idea," the tiny girl shrugged. "I drank the whole thing, but it didn't seem like it did anything to me… strange, and I had this weird urge to drink it, too."

"You… you drank it?" Shampoo stared at her in disbelief. "And nothing happened?"

"Nope!" The Amazon elder that looked like a child booped her teenage great-granddaughter on the nose. "Nothing at all."

Unnoticed to the two of them, the empty bottle slowly vanished into thin air… only to reappear on the pedestal deep within the Vault, as if nothing happened. And what was it that was written on its label?

It was 'Essence of Kokiri'.

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Themyscira and Wonder Woman belong to DC Comics._

 _Worgen and World of Warcraft belong to Blizzard._

 _Kokiri and the Legend of Zelda belong to Nintendo._


	7. Orb of Dungeon Keeper, Part I

With a thud and a groan, Mousse fell to the ground, unconscious.

Akane lowered her bow. "That takes care of him. Now, where's Ranma?"

With both hands, June grabbed an enormous club that looked more like a pillar. "Now, eat dirt!" she shouted and swung it around.

"YA! YA! YA!" Three quick slashes with the sword, and Ranma had reduced the dirt pillar into three smaller components. Blinking in shock, June looked at the small stump that remained in her hand. "Um… drat."

Amazon Ranma gave the dryad a cocky smirk. "You are defeated. Now, surrender!"

"I'm not going down that easy," June grimaced. She jumped over to where the two Vault Keepers and her fellow assistants were standing, and with one motion of the Dirt Rod, she encased the five of them within a big, hollow square of dirt.

"What are you doing?" Yuka squeaked. "Now we're trapped!"

"Not for long," June said. "I have a plan to get us out of here."

"Can't we just talk to Ranma and Akane?" Hiroshi asked. "If we explain everything to them, maybe they'll keep it a secret, too."

"No more sharing secrets!" June shouted. "You already involved Yuka and Sayuri, enough is enough."

"But won't they find out on their own sooner or later anyway?" Sayuri asked. "I mean, they already know the orbs and essences came from us."

"Don't worry about that, I have an idea. Now, where's the mirror? Everybody, hold on before they reach us…"

Outside, Ukyo gave the dirt cube a good sniff. "I think I can smell them in there," she said. "I never knew the dweebs were that good at hiding. Now how do we get them out of there?"

"Why don't you bash it with your mallet, Akane?" Nabiki smirked. "That usually does the trick."

"But Sayuri and Yuka are in there, too, and I don't want to hurt them," Akane told her. "Besides, I'm not sure that would be enough."

Ranma raised her sword. "Step aside. I'll handle this."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked as she nervously got out of the way. "We don't want to hurt them, just talk to them, remember?"

"Do not worry, sister-in-arms," the Amazon smirked. "I shall strike with speed, force and precision. No one shall be harmed." She drew back her blade and focused. Then she shouted: "Athena… guide my sword!"

She sped past the cube with one, powerful slash… and it fell apart in a pile of debris. However, there was no one inside.

"That's weird." Nabiki lifted the rubble aside with her magic. "Where did they go?"

* * *

Hiroshi, Daisuke, June, Sayuri and Yuka reappeared in the Vault's Summoning Chamber, in a pile of bodies and limbs.

"Th-that was a close one," Daisuke gasped. One after another, they stood up and caught their breath.

"Yeah, but what do we do now?" Hiroshi asked. "Now they know that we're responsible for the changes. And when we get back to Nerima, we'll have to tell them something."

"Relax." June wiped some dirt off her arm. "They have no real proof. If everything went according to plan, the Essence of Kokiri must be back in the Vault by now. And with no orbs or essences, they can't prove anything."

"They still know that we're keeping secrets from them," Sayuri said. "I really hate lying to Akane, she's our friend."

"You really should have thought about that when you decided to become an assistant," June frowned. "Anyways, I wouldn't worry too much. There are methods we can use to cover our tracks."

"What methods are those?" Hiroshi wondered.

June smiled. "Follow me. I'm about to teach you some advanced tricks the Vault Keepers have been using for eons."

Curious, the four teens followed the dryad. First, she went into the Chamber of Essences to gather a bottle of essence. Afterwards, she took it into the Chamber of Orbs, where she also chose one of the orbs.

"Now, you two already know how to use orbs and essences, right?" she spoke up. "Both of these relic types are powerful on their own. But say… what do you think might happen if one were to… combine these two powers?"

Daisuke scratched his head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we take an orb…" she lifted the orb in her right hand. "And an essence…" she raised the bottle in her left hand. "And we combine them. Easy, right?"

"Hold on… combining an orb with some essence?" Hiroshi gaped at her. "That works?"

"Why wouldn't it work?" June asked. "The most powerful magic usually comes into existence when you combine two or more different spells or sources of magical power with each other."

"So… what exactly does happen?" Yuka asked curiously.

"Exactly what you would expect to happen," June said. "The effects of the orb and essence are combined. However, their magic will also be much stronger and affect more than just the person, his skills and his memories. You know how using an orb also transforms all the items of his old class into items that are more suitable for his new class?"

"Ah… you mean, how Akane's gi turned into a ranger's outfit?" Hiroshi asked.

June nodded. "Exactly! But with the powers combined, the transformation effect of the orb will not just change a couple of items… it will change much, much more. The user's dwelling place will probably change… maybe even the street he lives in… and maybe even a couple of the people living in his vicinity. Also, the memory alteration of the essence will also work on the class change now."

"That sounds… difficult," Daisuke winced. "Can you give us an example?"

"Why not? If someone combines the Orb of Mage with the Essence of Elf, he will become an elf mage, and everyone will remember him being that and nothing else. His house will probably transform into a magic tower. Some people living with him might turn into servants or apprentices, pets would become magical creatures… you get the idea, right?"

"Yeah, I think I get it now," Daisuke nodded.

"But wait…" Hiroshi frowned. "If the combination of orbs and essences is so powerful and can even affect multiple people at once… why don't we do that all the time?"

"For several reasons," June explained. "One, if an orb and essence are used in combination, they take much longer to recharge and can't be used for a long duration of time anymore. And two, you can't really control the outcome of the changes such a procedure might cause. The only definite outcome will be the combination of class and creature on the user. We only use these combinations on very special occasions, and only if the Keepers are confident that it is necessary." She gave the two boys a stern look. "Did you understand everything so far?"

"I… I guess so, yeah," Hiroshi said. Daisuke just nodded.

"But… why do we want to do this now?" Sayuri asked. "Do you really think it's necessary, June? Just because Ranma and Akane found something out?"

"If you have any other idea, I'm all ears," June shrugged. "Besides… causing such a large amount of change at once will usually muddle the perception of the people involved. Right now, they are certain that there are strange potions and orbs causing changes, and that you four are involved in it somehow. But let's say we changed the place you live in… into something were enchanted items and magical creatures are much more common. I think that would definitely cover your tracks. But, as Vault Keepers, it is Hiroshi's and Daisuke's decision, of course."

The boys exchanged a glance and thought about it for a while.

"What orb and essence did you choose, June?" Hiroshi then asked.

* * *

"Oh my darling Ranma, hold me in your strong arms… ooooh, Kodachi-sama, you are so beautiful and lovely, I must have you…"

A soft knock at her door made Kodachi Kuno gasp and hide whatever she was holding under her arms. "What?" she snapped. "What is it?"

"Umm, Mistress Kodachi?" asked Sasuke, ninja retainer of the Kuno family. "Can I come in? Am I interrupting you with something?"

"You're always interrupting!" Kodachi growled angrily. "You… didn't see anything, did you?"

"No, Mistress Kodachi. I didn't see you playing with your dolls again."

Satisfied, Kodachi quickly put the dolls away and turned around to face her servant. "Very well. Now, what was it again that's so important, Sasuke?"

"There's… a package for you, Mistress Kodachi.

"A package?" Now her interest was piqued. "For me, Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose of St. Hebereke? Whatever could it be?" Her eyes then turned into hearts. "Oh, what if my darling Ranma has sent me a gift as a sign of his love?"

"I wouldn't know, mistress," Sasuke said, suppressing a sigh. Sometimes he really did wonder what it would be like to serve under masters that are not completely crazy.

"This deserves further investigation, Sasuke," she said. "Who was it that delivered the package?"

"I don't know, mistress," the ninja said.

"You don't… you don't KNOW?" she yelled furiously. "What kind of ninja are you, idiot? Who could ever sneak up on the grounds of the noble Kuno family, past the watchful eyes of our servants and past the hungry maw of my beloved Mr. Turtle?"

Sasuke lowered his head. "I don't know, mistress."

"Very well." She waved dismissively. "I think that's enough investigation for now. If it is indeed a gift from my darling Ranma, then I am sure he will have his ways. I simply cannot make him wait any longer… I am sure he is waiting breathlessly for an answer. Leave the package here, Sasuke, and go back to your post."

"As you wish, Mistress Kodachi." The ninja retainer placed the package on a table and then vanished in a puff of smoke.

Kodachi strode up to the table and opened the package. "Now, let's see what secrets you reveal." She reached inside… and pulled out a shimmering orb with swirling colors inside. She watched in amazement as dark purple clouds mixed with splotches of blood red. The whole mixture moved as if the orb was filled with some sort of liquid.

"What… what is this peculiar ornament of questionable taste?" she asked as she raised it up in front of her face. "What did you send me, dearest Ranma? A doorstop? A paperweight? A lava lamp, maybe? Wait… are those letters appearing amidst those colorful swirls?"

She quickly read the message that appeared on the orb. "Drink… me?" She blinked. "This… this vile concoction is supposed to be a drink? It looks disgusting… still, I must at least give it a taste. But how do I open this thing?"

After several minutes of searching, she finally found a small, barely visible hole on top of the orb, just big enough for a drinking straw.

"Well, this vessel certainly isn't the most practical thing in the world," she huffed. "But oh well, I did find it in the end. Let's give it a test and hope it's not half as bad as it looks…"

She took a thin drinking straw and put it through the hole. Afterwards, she took a small sip.

"Oh… this…" Her eyes widened and she took a second, much longer sip. "Oh, this drink… is heavenly! I… I simply must drink more!" Her mouth quickly found the straw again, and her careful sips turned into long gulps of pleasure.

All the while she drank, her skin started turning deathly pale, sip for sip. Her beautiful, black hair turned even longer than before, while her ears grew pointy. Her regular clothes shifted and transformed into a long, flowing dress of dark purple silk, skimpy and alluring, with her shoulders and cleavage on display. As her greedy slurps continued, she let out a gasp while her teeth grew into sharp fangs and her eyes turned blood red.

Hers wasn't the only transformation in the room. Everything became much darker and more gloomy. The walls transformed into black marble, the curtains into red silk. Her bed was looking more and more like an open sarcophagus instead. Her beautiful, body-sized mirror completely disappeared, as did the windows in her room. The entire furnishings and even the architecture changed from the house of a modern, rich, Japanese family into something dark and gothic.

Even more changes were happening outside. The entire mansion changed shape and grew in all directions, even absorbing some of the surrounding buildings in the neighborhood. Dark clouds began to cover the sky above the building, while dark towers stretched up into the sky and loomed over Nerima. But the most extreme transformation was occurring deep underground.

Starting from directly underneath the former Kuno mansion, a wide, complicated network of tunnels, caves and catacombs began to stretch. Inhuman creatures in all shapes and sizes started skittering and slithering around the dark depths. And in the center of it all was a huge, glowing crystal that seemed to pulsate… the dungeon heart.

Meanwhile, all of Nerima was undergoing some changes. While a lot of it still looked like the normal, modern city it had been before, there were several unusual buildings mixed within that looked more like medieval Europe. Instead of cars, carriages and people riding on horses and… other creatures were the norm. The Tendo residence had turned into a mix between a dojo and an inn. The Nekohanten was suddenly surrounded by a small forest. And none of Nerima's residents seemed to notice anything odd.

After the liquid-filled orb was finally empty, the new Kodachi Kuno lowered it from her mouth with a sigh and wiped a few red droplets from her lip. "That really was refreshing. It's a pity fresh peasants are so difficult to come by these days. SASUKE!"

The retainer reappeared in a small plume of flames. "You called, mistress?" He was more or less unchanged, except for his dark brown skin, his pointy ears and his bulging, black eyes.

"Be a good imp and throw away this repulsive thing." The vampiress tossed the empty orb behind her, and the small demon hurried to catch it. "Its contents were delicious, but its aesthetics hurt my eyes. It's a pity my darling Ranma doesn't have the same sense for decor like I do."

The imp ninja sighed. "As you wish, Mistress Kodachi." Sometimes he wondered if anything would change if he had normal humans as masters. And in a flash, he was gone.

"Now, where was I?" Kodachi tapped her chin with an elongated fingernail. "Should I pay a visit to the slave pens, for some whipping fun? Or do I feed my beloved Mr. Turtle? Ah, the daily work of a Dungeon Keeper… so much to do. Ah, I know!" A delightful grin revealed her fangs. "I know who I'll be paying a visit… my darling sibling!"

The vampiress left her quarters and started descending into the depths of her dungeon. Here and there, she came past a wart-covered troll guard, who moved aside with a respectful grunt, or a scurrying kobold, who dove out of the way to avoid getting kicked.

Kodachi finally reached the prison cells, which were filled with filthy peasants and disloyal, magical creatures. Usually, she loved stopping at each of their cell doors to laugh and gloat, but today, she was here to visit a special prisoner. Hurrying past an imprisoned pegasus with cropped wings, she entered the room at the far end of the cell corridor.

The cell on the other side of the room was far more spacious than the cramped cells for the commoners and beasts. It was also far more luxurious, with tiled walls, a bed and even some books to read. The prisoner sitting on the bed was looking more bored than terrified or anguished. It was a beautiful girl, a bit younger than Kodachi, wearing a black petticoat dress and a sparkling tiara on her forehead. In her right hand, she was holding a short scepter that was, strangely enough, shaped like an ornamented bokken.

Kodachi approached the cell door with a smile on her pale face. "How are you faring, sister dearest?"

The younger girl gave her undead sibling an adorable pout. "It's boring. And the food down here is terrible. Can't you bring me something sweet, like a cake?"

"I shall have a talk with the head chef," Kodachi said. "It simply will not do that a Kuno is not treated with the proper respect, prisoner or not."

"How long do I still have to be in here?" her sister whined. "You said my beloved would soon show up to rescue me. Where is he? Where is my darling Ranma?"

Kodachi chuckled. "Oh Akiko-chan… you know that I desire Ranma-darling's love as much as you do, if not even more. You know I can't allow you to have him."

"But he will save me, I know it," the little girl smiled. "And when he does, he shall marry me. Me, Princess Tatewakiko Kuno, the bluebell of Furinkan High!" She struck a proud pose… and instantly swooned and sighed at the image of her heroic savior.

"I wouldn't count on that, sister dearest," Kodachi smiled. "Ranma-darling will have his hands full with me. Maybe the pig-tailed girl or Akane Tendo will rescue you instead."

Akiko snarled in annoyance. "Those two hussies only want to get their hands on my Ranma! He does not deserve either of them, he needs a princess at his side."

Kodachi nodded. "That, my sister, we can agree on."

* * *

Ranma grumbled as he followed Akane, Ukyo and Nabiki along the cobblestone path, back in his male form. "I can't believe they got away like that."

"You're just upset that you were denied your victory, Ranchan," Ukyo said. "Just let it go, and move on. Both your male and female forms are too proud for your own good. Also, be glad Nabiki heated that water for you."

"It was still too hot. AGAIN!" Ranma glowered.

"It's your own fault for not bringing any thermos, Saotome," Nabiki snorted a very horse-like snort. "What I can't believe is that the dweebs actually managed to trick us like that. They never looked like they had it in them."

"What happened, happened," Akane said. "When one prey escapes, a hunter needs to keep his eye open for the next one. And that would be Shampoo, who escaped with the potion."

"If it IS a potion," Ukyo pointed out. "It didn't really do anything to Nabiki and me, except taste bad."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." Akane then stopped. "Say, guys… do you think the neighborhood looks different today?"

The others took a careful look around. "I don't see anything that seems out of place," Ranma said. "The same old houses, item shops, the magic bookstore…"

Ukyo frowned. "Wait… I think I see what you mean." Her eyes widened. "The… the nerve! That lizardman opened up his meat stand right in front of Ucchan's! Sorry guys, but you go ahead without me. I need to give scale face over there a piece of my mind." And the worgen girl ran off.

Nabiki felt a bit disappointed when she watched her appointed bodyguard leave the group like that. "I really hope we don't run into any other shady characters on our way to the Nekohanten," she muttered. "Saotome? If something happens, you're on unicorn protection duty."

"Since when?" Ranma frowned. "Whatever happened to those amazing magic powers of yours, great and powerful Nabiki? Didn't you say you don't need anyone."

"Times change," Nabiki simply said. "And if you do your job well, I might consider not taking any more pictures of your female side." She rubbed her chin with her hoof. "Then again… I don't know how many customers are into that whole muscular, amazonian beauty thing."

"More than you think," Akane said. "But never mind that now… we're here."

The road turned into a narrow dirt path that lead into the small woods surrounding the Nekohanten. Instinctively, Akane drew an arrow and carefully peered through the shrubbery.

"Is it just me, or does this place keep growing every time we come here?" Akane asked. "Wouldn't surprise me, the little brat does love her trees."

A soft giggle made them look up into the foliage. "Lookie here, a trio of adventurers trespassing in my woods. Do they want to play, I wonder?"

Ranma gritted his teeth. "Cut the act, little brat! We're here because of that bottle your great-granddaughter ran away with. So why don't you just give it to us so we can leave?"

Cologne giggled again as she appeared on a branch high above them. "Teehee… you said 'leaf'."

"How can such an immature child be related to a fierce fighter like Shampoo?" Nabiki wondered. "I really don't see the resemblance."

"Oh, we're not biologically related," the Kokiri girl smiled as she sat down on the branch and waggled her little legs. "I adopted her grandfather when he was abandoned in my home forest near the Joketsuzoku village. That makes her my great-granddaughter."

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Nabiki nodded.

"Enough reminiscing, Cologne," Ranma said. "Where's the bottle?"

"Bottle, bottle?" Cologne feigned ignorance. "Hmmm, I don't really know. I don't believe I have any bottle you might be interested in." Which was, technically, true. The bottle of Kokiri Essence was already back in the Vault.

"That's it!" Ranma quickly punched the tree the Kokiri was sitting on. It wasn't nearly strong enough to damage it, but it shook under the force of the punch and several leaves fell down. Cologne jumped down onto the path.

"Careful, son-in-law," she said with a more sober expression. "I really don't like it if anyone hurts my trees. Are you really looking for a fight? If you recall, you never managed to beat me."

"I don't care, I just want to wipe that smug grin off your little face once and for all," Ranma growled.

"Wow," Nabiki said. "That's the first time I met someone with the full intent on clobbering a child. Although in this case, my bets are on the child."

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma yelled as he tried punching Cologne, faster than the eye could see… tried being the key word. He didn't manage to land one single hit. The little forest girl easily avoided him doing a number of impossible-looking jumps, backflips and cartwheels.

"Using the technique I taught you against me?" Cologne disapprovingly shook her head. "You disappoint me, son-in-law. But maybe it's time I showed you another one of my tricks… DEKU BULLET SEEDS!" She jumped high into the air and, with one swift motion, pulled a bunch of small seeds and nuts from her pouch, throwing them at Ranma in almost the same instant.

Ranma gasped when he was suddenly bombarded with small, painful, pellet-like seeds. Each seed didn't do a lot of damage on its own, but together, they were like an angry swarm of mosquitos… and every hit stung just as much. At the same time, the nuts hitting the ground around him broke apart in bursts of flashing light, blinding him multiple times. "Ah, dammit!" He tried holding his ground, but there wasn't really anything he could do to stop the attack. "That was a cheap shot, little brat!"

Cologne chuckled as she jumped back up on her branch. "Did you have enough? Or do you wish to play some more? After we're done, maybe I can invite you for some food at the Nekohanten… Shampoo made it with love." She winked.

"That's it!" This time, it was Akane who shouted these words. She grabbed Ranma's arm and pulled him back down the path, out of the woods.

"W-w-wait! Akane… that's the wrong way. The bottle's at the Nekohanten…"

"I don't care about that stupid bottle anymore. I'm not letting you flirt with that Chinese bimbo over some ramen when I can cook for you back at the inn."

Ranma groaned with misery.

Nabiki suddenly realized that she was all on her own, in the middle of the woods, in the presence of the scariest child Nerima had ever seen. "Um, hehehe…" she nervously chuckled. "I'll be going now, then…"

"Leaving so soon?" Cologne smiled. "If I recall, my great-granddaughter was very interested in taking that horn of yours. Isn't that true?"

Nabiki gulped. "I'm rather attached to my horn, thank you very much."

"Oh, I'm just teasing you, little pony," the Kokiri girl grinned. She jumped off her branch again and landed on the teal unicorn's back. Nabiki's first impulse was to buck her off, but she decided that wouldn't be a wise choice.

Cologne giggled as she hugged Nabiki's neck. "Your fur is so soft and cuddly. I've always wanted to ride a unicorn… wheeee!"

"Sorry, but I'm not quite in the mood for frolicking around the woods at the moment," Nabiki said. "Considering you Amazons want to cut off my horn…"

"Oh, don't be a silly pony," Cologne snickered. "I never would do anything like that. I'm afraid Shampoo completely misunderstood the recipe of the potion. We don't need a whole unicorn's horn as an ingredient, we only need a few fragments, a bit of chipping, nothing more. And as far as I remember, you unicorns file your horns on a regular basis, to keep it from getting dull. So I'm sure you always have a small amount of horn filings you're throwing away."

"Wait… you just want me to give you some of my horn filings?" Nabiki asked in surprise. "That's all?"

"Sure," Cologne nodded. "Cutting off your horn… we're not barbarians, you know. Also, I'm willing to offer you a good amount of yen for those. You are a businessmare, Miss Tendo, are you not? So, how about it? Shall we make a deal?"

Nabiki's expression of worry slowly turned into a devious smirk. "Let me hear your offer."

* * *

Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka and Sayuri couldn't believe their eyes after their return to Nerima. They almost didn't recognize their home town.

"All of this… happened because of one single orb and essence combination?" Sayuri muttered. "I don't believe this…"

"Yeah, I know?" Yuka grinned. "It's truly incredible, isn't it?" The lover of fantasy novels barely contained her excitement. "Look around! It's like we're in a village right out of a role-playing game. And all those fantastic creatures… oh, is that a gnome?"

"I really don't get how turning Kodachi into a vampire and Dungeon Keeper affected the whole town," Hiroshi said.

"It's quite simple, actually," June explained. The dryad casually strolled alongside the four teenagers through Nerima, not really standing out that much among the new, fantastic populace. "A Dungeon Keeper can only keep power as long as he attracts monsters that inhabit his dungeon. And since there aren't that many monsters to your world, she needs several magical portals through which she can summon monsters and magical creatures from other worlds. As soon as they appear within her dungeon, she can enslave them, form a pact with them or simply buy their services with gold. But, as you can imagine, not every summoned creature actually wants work for an evil vampire queen. So what does she do with those?"

"She… imprisons them?" Daisuke took a guess.

"Some of them, yes," June nodded. "But others managed to escape from her dungeon, into Nerima. That's why your hometown has become a haven for a wide variety of non-human creatures."

"And what about all the item shops for adventurers?" Yuka asked. "The armory and the inn? Did the non-humans open them?"

"A few of them, but that's not the main reason for their existence," June said. "A Dungeon Keeper is a huge threat to the lands around his keep, you know? His minions leave his domain to pilfer and ransack the surrounding villages. But at the same time, a Keeper's dungeon also attracts a lot of heroes and adventurers who aim to rid the land of the evil overlord or to simply raid his keep for all the riches inside of it. That's why Nerima has become a town for raiders and adventurers, who want to prepare themselves before they delve into the dungeon. Do you understand?"

"I only understand that I'm losing track of all the different kinds of keepers," Daisuke muttered.

Sayuri nervously bit her lip. "June… didn't we just make a huge mistake? You said it yourself, a Dungeon Keeper is a big threat to everyone who lives nearby. Didn't we put all of our friends and family in danger by giving Kodachi so much… power?"

"You kids still underestimate me," June smiled. "Don't you think I would think of such problems? Don't you think I have enough experience to predict how events will turn out? Listen, from what you've told me, that Kuno girl is a complete failure as a villain. Sure, she has the ego, the ambition, the lunacy, and she lacks quite a bit of remorse… but I don't believe one bit that she truly has what it takes to be a competent Dungeon Keeper. The adventurers probably won't remove her from power… and why would they? Kodachi's basically the main source income for the townsfolk. But her minions won't do any sort of everlasting damage, I can assure you that."

"See, Sayuri?" Yuka smiled. "June knows her stuff. Quit worrying and just enjoy this. Aren't you excited to find out all the different things that have changed?"

"Weren't you the one with doubts when we first accepted this job?" Sayuri frowned. "And all of a sudden I'm the voice of reason? Am I the only one who finds this alarming?"

While they were talking, they came past the Tendo Dojo… which had changed quite a lot. The dojo was still there, at the backside of the house, but now the entire front had transformed into an inn… and it was quite crowded, too. There was a new, wooden sign above the entrance that read: 'Tendo-Saotome Inn and Dojo'. A couple of tipsy patrons were just coming out, while a new group just arrived. They were carrying swords, torches, lanterns and maps… the stereotypical group of adventurers, returning to town after a successful dungeon raid.

"Please come in, honorable guests," a familiar voice welcomed them. "Make yourselves at home… oh!" Kasumi Tendo stepped outside the inn when she saw the small group of friends. She was the same sweet hostess as before, but now she was wearing an old-fashioned waitress outfit. "So nice to see you, everyone," she smiled. "I'm sorry, but Ranma and Akane aren't home yet. Or have you come for a nice meal? You know you're always welcome here."

"Hello, Kasumi-san," Hiroshi said. "Thanks for the offer, but we're actually…"

"Oh, it really smells nice in there," Daisuke interrupted his friend. "Did you cook, Kasumi?"

"Oh no, Ranma's mother is the cook," Kasumi said. She gestured inside. The door leading to the kitchen was slightly open, and they were able to see Nodoka working at the grill. Soun was standing behind the counter as bartender, and there was also a nervous-looking girl in a maid outfit that looked like an anthropomorphic panda.

"Say, would you like to try our dish of the day?" Kasumi asked. "We have sautéed salamander tails with soy sauce and rice."

"We do have some time, right guys? Let's not turn Kasumi's nice offer down." Daisuke looked at the others with pleading eyes.

"But there are already so many customers in there," Yuka pointed out. "I don't want to put too much work on poor Kasumi-chan."

Kasumi looked at her. "Yuka-chan, you're here too? I'm sorry, I didn't see you over there." A small frown then appeared on her face. "Yuka-chan, why aren't you in your waitress outfit? You know we always have a lot of customers in the evening and need every employee. You're quite late, on top of that."

"W-waitress?" Yuka stuttered. "M-me? Serving food?"

"Why, of course," Kasumi nodded. "You told me your parents need some extra money for their shop of magic tomes. That's why you volunteered to work part-time at our inn, isn't that right?"

"Um… I did?" Yuka asked. She looked over her shoulder. "June?"

"Hmmm. I can only imagine that quite a few things in your personal lives have changed," she pondered. "Just try to find out what they are and get used to them."

"For real?" Daisuke blurted out. "But we don't know anything about what's different in this Nerima."

"That's one of the upsides and downsides of being a Vault Keeper," the dryad smirked. "Unlike everyone else, you get to keep your old memories. Oh well… have fun, Yuka-chan."

Kasumi looked at the dryad with confusion. "Excuse me… I'm not quite sure what you just talked about, but are you new here? I'm not sure we've ever met before."

"We haven't," June said. "My name's June, those four are my friends."

"Oh my, it's so nice to see new faces," Kasumi beamed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, June-chan. And welcome to Nerima, I hope you'll have an enjoyable stay."

"Oh, I will…" June smiled as she followed Hiroshi, Daisuke and Sayuri inside the crowded inn, while Kasumi was dragging a sour-faced Yuka to the employees' lounge next to the kitchen. "I will."

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _Dungeon Keeper belongs to Bullfrog Productions._


	8. Orb of Dungeon Keeper, Part II

When Akane and Ranma came back to the Tendo residence, the inn was bustling with customers of all sizes and species. A group of dwarves laid siege to the bar and kept Soun very busy, while Kasumi had a lot of trouble keeping up with the many orders from the tables. But for all of that, she still kept her usual poise, charm and friendliness. She was such a charming host that none of the customers ever thought about making rude or inappropriate comments towards her. And if one ever did get out of line, he'd have the wrath of all the regulars against him.

Ranma and Akane decided not to bother Kasumi at the moment and quickly made their way past the kitchen, where they heard Ranma's parents having an argument.

"It is out of the question, husband," Nodoka said sternly. "Poor Kasumi can't take care of this many customers all by herself, even with Yuka-chan's help."

"Woman, do you know what you are demanding?" Genma shouted. "Getting out there and serving those people like… THAT… is an insult to every man's dignity."

"As if you have any left, pops," Ranma snidely commented as he entered the room. "What's your problem now? Lemme guess… trying to weasel out of work, again?"

"Yes, he is," Nodoka frowned. "Genma, just splash yourself with some water and get out of there. Some customers asked for little 'Genko-chan' specifically."

"Those are the worst!" Genma protested. "Do you know what they did to my backside, last time they were here? And my foolish cursed half just doesn't have the guts to stand up for herself."

"Well, if you fail as a man, maybe you can at least get some work done as a shy, demure girl," Nodoka said. "I'm still hoping that curse of yours will teach you some sort of humility some day."

"I am still your husband and the head of this family," Genma proclaimed. "And I will not be running around in some frilly dress and…"

"Oh, give it a rest, Genko-chan," Ranma muttered and splashed his father with cold water.

Where Genma's male, portly, balding form once stood, suddenly was a smaller, of still slightly chubby girl with paw-like hands and feet, a cute muzzle and black and white fur that covered all of her body. Instead of Genma's usual clothing, she was wearing a traditional maid's outfit. Confused, she blinked a few times. "Oh my…" she said in a very quiet and sweet-sounding voice, very similar to Kasumi. "What am I doing, standing around when there's work to be done?"

The panda girl quickly turned around to face Nodoka and gave her a quick bow. "I'm so sorry, mistress. I didn't mean to slack off… it will never happen again, I promise."

"That's all right, Genko-chan," Nodoka smiled. "Now, run along and help Kasumi with the customers. Your favorite regulars have already asked for you."

"Oh, then I better not keep them waiting," Genko said. "Please excuse me, mistress, young master, young mistress…" She quickly bowed in succession before Nodoka, Ranma and Akane, then she hurried to the regulars' table on her fluffy, padded feet.

Akane looked after her in amusement. "Uncle Saotome is a much bigger help in this form. Why don't you always keep him like that, auntie?"

Nodoka sighed. "Because he is still the man I married and love. And I'm only urging him to transform because I hope that he will learn something from Genko-chan's humility, diligence and eagerness to please other people."

"Fat chance that'll ever happen," Ranma muttered. "But you're right, he's been a lot mire helpful ever since he fell into the 'Spring of Drowned Pandaren Maid' at Jusenkyo. At least I wasn't the only one who received a cursed female form."

"But that didn't stop him from making horrible decisions," Akane pointed out. "He's still the worst father I've ever seen."

* * *

Somewhere across the multiverse, Fire Lord Ozai sneezed.

* * *

"By the way, your friends from school are here," Nodoka said. "Yuka-chan's helping Kasumi with the customers and the others are sitting at table 4."

"Wait, what?" Ranma looked over to the table where he indeed saw Hiroshi, Daisuke and Yuka sitting together with that green-haired girl he fought earlier. "All that mess earlier, and now they just came here?"

"Well, I guess now's the best chance to talk to them," Akane said. "It's not like Auntie Nodoka would allow any of us to fight in here."

"I most certainly would not," Nodoka frowned. "That's what the dojo is for. Oh, and while you're going to greet them… their sautéed salamander tails are ready. Can you please serve them?"

"Fine, I'll do it," Akane sighed. "Even though I'm a ranger, not a waitress."

Ranma and Akane took the plates with food and brought them over to table 4, where Hiroshi was just laughing at a joke Daisuke told him. Sayuri snickered a bit while June at least had a small smile on her face.

Akane just walked up to Hiroshi from behind and put the food in front of him.

With a smile on his face, he turned around. "Oh thanks, that looks deli… cious…" His smile turned into an expression of worry, when he saw Akane looking at him. "Oh… Akane… it's you…"

"Yeah, it's me. I live here, you know?" she frowned.

"Oh yeah, we should've probably thought of that," Daisuke nervously chuckled.

June took another sip of her drink. "Relax. They're not here to fight and neither are we. So let's just enjoy our meal, okay?"

"Who are you anyway?" Ranma asked her. "And for someone who threw dirt walls at me earlier, you're taking this pretty well."

"I'm June the dryad, pleased to meet you," she smiled. "And I had a good reason to fight. Two, actually."

"Oh yeah?" Ranma frowned. "And what reasons are those?"

"First of all, you had something that belonged to me," June explained. "I just gave it to Daisuke. You and your little unicorn friend took it from us. And I'm not really too happy if someone takes something I gave to a friend."

"Wait… you are friends with each other?" Akane asked and looked at Sayuri.

"Um… yes, we first met her a couple of days ago," the pony-tailed girl admitted.

"So what? Does that mean you wanna tell us what those orbs and bottles are about after all?" Ranma asked.

"Um… do we?" Hiroshi turned to look at June.

"We might as well," June shrugged. "You see, all these orbs and bottles are mine. I'm opening a new store here in Nerima. A place where adventurers can buy the opportunity to change their class. From martial artist to wizard, from barbarian to thief, however they feel like. As long as they got the cash."

Hiroshi and Daisuke stared at June. That cover-up story was ingenious! Why didn't they think of that?

"And what's with the bottles?" Akane inquired.

"Just a couple of different refreshment drinks I also offer at my store," June smiled. "It's just good business… adventurers tend to get thirsty after a day of defeating monsters and gathering loot."

"If that's the truth, why did they put something in the drinks of Ukyo and Nabiki?" Ranma wondered.

"That's my fault, actually," Hiroshi spoke up. "I really wanted to give Kuonji-san a refreshing drink and took the wrong bottle by accident. As for Nabiki, well… that was just a prank."

"Y-yeah," Daisuke quickly nodded. "I really wanted to get back at her because of the DVD."

June looked at Hiroshi and Daisuke with satisfaction. She was glad the boys caught on so quickly.

"But if that's the whole story, then most of that big brawl was absolutely unnecessary," Ranma groaned. "Why didn't you say something in the first place?"

"Because we promised June not to tell anyone about her new store," Sayuri said. "She wanted to keep it a secret until the grand opening."

"That's true," June nodded. "But now that I know you are all friends, it's fine to tell you everything."

"You said you had two reasons for the fight," Ranma said. "What was the second reason?"

"Ah, you see, it's been a long time since I've had a really good fight," June smirked. "And with such an formidable opponent as yourself, I was really able to let loose for once. I had a lot of fun, I must admit."

"Oh… hehehe…" Ranma sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Thanks. You weren't half bad either. And as a martial artist, it's really not my style to hold back. Well, I guess my Amazon self is similar that way."

"So that means the reason Ranma and I have these new abilities is that Hiroshi and Daisuke got them from you?" Akane asked.

"That's it," June confirmed. "I didn't really ask them why they needed them. I never ask my clients for their reasons, that's one of my business principles."

"We really wanted to help," Hiroshi asserted. "They were supposed to be gifts, surprises. And after all, they did give you the opportunity to choose."

"Yeah, and in Ranma's case, June told us that the class change would only affect his female form," Daisuke added.

"Huh. Well… I guess I can't be too mad at you, then," Ranma said. "It certainly would've helped if you told us everything from the start, but I guess it worked out okay. Thanks, buddies."

Hiroshi smiled. "No problem, pal."

Inwardly, June couldn't help but triumphantly cheer. So far, her plan had worked and nothing about the Vault itself had been revealed to any outsider. Sure, she would gave to actually set up shop in this new version of Nerima, but if she was honest with herself, she was actually looking forward to it. She had been on her own for a very long time, and this new Nerima was filled with magic, monsters and adventures, just like her own world. She would feel right at home and could push the new Vault Keepers, as well as the inhabitants of the world itself, in the right direction. Also, selling the orbs and bottles in a shop would be the perfect cover for any plan Daisuke and Hiroshi would come up with in the future.

'Look out, Nerima!' she thought to herself. 'Here comes June!'

* * *

Meanwhile, deep within Kuno Castle, Kodachi was pacing through her private quarters. She was contemplating her next plans.

Groups of adventurers came into her lair on a regular, almost daily basis now. Sometimes, she was able to fight them back or even defeat them, converting the self-proclaimed 'heroes' into servants, putting them in prison or letting them work as slaves. Sometimes, they even had valuable items and equipment with them, which she happily placed within her treasury. But sometimes, the heroes were able to escape with their lives. None actually managed to reach her innermost quarters, of course… but it happened several times that they were able to steal some of her personal belongings, defeat some of her favorite minions or even raid her treasure rooms. Such occurrences always put her in a disappointed mood, and her servants knew that it would be best to avoid her in such a state of mind.

"I think it's time to plan my own next raid on Nerima," the vampiress pondered. "That last group of wretched 'adventurers' really made a mess of my beautiful dining room… and they stole ALL of the silverware!" She angrily clenched her fist. "It is overdue that the citizens of Nerima are reminded just WHO the master of this place is." She let out an evil laugh. "Oh yes, those peasants will be put in their place, they will come crawling to my feet to plead for mercy, once my minions are done raiding and pillaging their pathetic little town… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

After she decided that she had reached her daily quota of evil laughter, she went into the castle's library. It was positioned in-between the alchemy lab and the sacrifice pit, naturally, and was guarded by a pair of patrolling beholders. When Kodachi approached the library doors, one of the spherical, eyeball-covered creatures made slight adjustments in its path to avoid her. Satisfied with her creature's loyal behavior, she opened the door and went inside.

The towering walls of shelves, filled to the brim with tomes of ancient and dark magic were a sight to behold, but today, she was not interested in them in the slightest. She ventured further on and shouted: "Warlock! Show yourself this instant!"

A pale head with candles attached to it rose up behind an enormous writing desk. "Oh M-m-mistress Kodachi… wh-what an honor to welcome you here in the library. P-please, let me pull up a chair for you."

"That will not be necessary," Kodachi dismissed his offer with a wave of her hand. "Hikaru Gosunkugi, in all the years you've been in my employment, you have proven yourself to be my most capable… if only… warlock servant. Today, I require your services."

"Oh, th-that's too noble of you, my dark mistress," the pale boy stuttered, bowing his head. "What can this lowly caster of dark magic do for you?"

"Prepare a summoning ritual!" Kodachi shouted. "I have planned a new raid on Nerima… and this time, I want my forces to be lead by a capable commander. He must be strong… dependable… terrifying to behold… and without question loyal to my cause."

"Oh, most certainly, esteemed mistress of all things evil," Gosunkugi groveled in front of her. "If I may make a suggestion… how about a hobgoblin?"

"Hobgoblins are too wimpy and not nearly as intimidating enough," Kodachi scoffed.

"The how about an ogre?"

"Too stupid."

"A bile demon?"

"Too disgusting and foul-smelling."

"A minotaur?"

"Don't get me started with minotaurs!" Kodachi groaned. "The last one you summoned refused to obey me and I had to lock him away. Imagine, he wanted to CRUSH Ranma-darling instead of bringing him to me. The nerve of that beast!"

"W-well… what would you suggest, my mistress?" Gosunkugi asked.

The Dungeon Keeper gave her warlock minion a sly smile. "There is one creature I've always wanted to summon. For eons, these demons have been the personal servants of only the most powerful keepers… their proficiency in battle is unrivaled, and their blood lust is legendary!"

Gosunkugi paled even more than usual. "Oh n-n-n-no, mistress… y-you're not thinking of…"

"Yes!" Kodachi proclaimed and raised a hand. "I command you… to summon the HORNED REAPER!"

A small voice in the back of Gosunkugi warned him that this would be a good time to voice his doubts about this plan… but at the same time, another voice warned him that disobeying Kodachi wasn't a good idea either.

What was more terrifying? A rampaging, powerful, red demon… or the wrath of his mistress?

"I'll prepare the summoning circle…" he finally said with a sigh.

* * *

As soon as the preparations were complete, Gosunkugi's doubts came back to him. The circle was drawn, the candles were lit and he was wearing his summoning robes. He didn't feel ready… at all.

"M… mistress?" He gathered up all of his courage to speak up. "Don't the old writing warn from rashly summoning a grim reaper? After all, they belong to a species of demons that really don't like taking orders, are difficult to control and are infamous for going on murderous rampages…"

The response was just like he predicted. "What are you implying, minion?" Kodachi snapped. "These writings only advise INEXPERIENCED Dungeon Keepers against summoning a reaper. Are you saying that I am inexperienced, Gosunkugi? Do you dare to imply that I am INCAPABLE of keeping the creatures under my command under control?"

The warlock quickly bowed his head. "N-n-n-no, mistress, that wasn't my intention at all! Please forgive this foolish servant his blunder…"

Satisfied for now, if still a bit miffed, Kodachi snorted and nodded towards the cowering warlock. "That's better. And now… get on with the summoning ritual already!"

And Gosunkugi had no choice but to follow his mistress' orders. He carefully stepped next to the circle, making sure not to knock over any of the candles, put his hands together and started chanting an ancient, forgotten language.

When his incantations were complete… the room was silent for a moment. For a while, Kodachi wondered if the ritual had failed… but then, a pillar of roaring flames came shooting forth from the circle, and in its midst, an enormous, shadowy figure started rising up. A pair of long, straight horns came jutting out of its hairless skull, its body was bulging with muscles and in its hands, the creature was carrying a huge, nasty-looking scythe. When the demon had completely risen out of the ground, it was much taller than each of the other two occupants of the room. The flames dissipated as he spread his arms with a bellowing roar.

"WHO DARED SUMMON THE HORNED REAPER?" the demon bellowed. "PUNY DUNGEON KEEPER, YOU SHALL KNOW MY NEVERENDING FL…"

The Horned Reaper interrupted itself and looked around. "What? What is this? Am I… alone?"

"Down here, demon!" Kodachi shouted. "I am your new mistress. Kneel before me, and obey!"

The Reaper looked down at Kodachi's slender form, which looked much less impressive than his own, towering appearance. "You… YOU are the new Dungeon Keeper?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I am," Kodachi nodded, not noticing the disbelief in his voice. "I am Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose, mistress of all evil and Keeper of this dungeon!"

The Horned Reaper squinted his eyes. "YOU are the new Keeper?" he repeated his question. "Oh, for hell's sake… you can't be serious, can you? You're not a real Dungeon Keeper!" He angrily put down his scythe on the floor with a thundering boom. "In thousands of years, I have seen dozens of Keepers that are more intimidating, more powerful and more respect-commanding than you could ever hope to be. You are a little girl, nothing more!"

"How dare you?" Kodachi screeched. "I summoned you, and you have to follow my orders. And I command you to lead my battalion of orcs into town and raid it."

"An ordinary town raid?" the Reaper dismissively snorted. "I have fought champions of the forces of good, knights, paladins, angels… and you want me to do the job of a common bandit leader?" He gritted his teeth. "Is it at least a well-defended kingdom with an army? In that case, I might lower myself to your standards and burn it to the ground, just to have some fun."

"What? No! I don't want you to burn Nerima to the ground," Kodachi protested. "My school is down there. I just want to teach them some respect. Just pillage a couple of homes, take one or two prisoners and return here. That should be enough for them to once again fear the name of the Black Rose! Hahahaha!"

"N… no burning? No carnage? Are you… are you mocking me?" the Reaper roared.

"Not in the slightest," Kodachi said. "Now, you have your mission. Report to the barracks, get your troops and see that it is done."

"She's not joking…" the Horned Reaper muttered as he slowly sank down to the ground, sat down in the middle of the summoning circle (knocking over a few of the candles in the process) and shook his head with a heavy sigh. "Oh, by all the forces of hell, she's not joking. What have I done to deserve this?" He groaned. "A novice… I've been summoned by a freaking novice Keeper!"

"T-t-t-technically…" Gosunkugi nervously raised a hand. "I did the summoning."

The Horned Reaper glared at Gosunkugi, who looked ready to soil his robes, then at Kodachi. "Are. You. KIDDING ME? You didn't even do the summoning yourself? What kind of Keeper summons a greater demon with the help of a MINION?"

"Well, he is the best warlock I have," Kodachi pointed out. "I agree that's not saying much, but…"

The Reaper let out another groan. For some reason, Kodachi decided not to finish her speech.

"All right," he finally said. "All right. Maybe this isn't so bad. Maybe I can still salvage this. A novice Keeper can still be put on the right path, after all." He stood back up to his cloven hooves. "Very well then… mistress!" He said the last word as mockingly as he could. "Before I decide to… do your bidding, let's hear about your plans for this… Nerima. What is your main goal? Absolute power? Chaos and destruction? Or at least riches and depravity?"

Kodachi replied with a blissful smile on her face. "I am pursuing the heart of my only love, my darling Ranma, the most wonderful man in existence!"

If he wasn't a demon of war and destruction, the Horned Reaper would have started to cry.

Love. His Dungeon Keeper's main motivation was LOVE, of all things. Who had ever heard of a master of evil who put something as feeble and fleeting as that over everything else? Revenge he could understand, hatred, greed and envy. But light-condemned LOVE?

"This is going to take a lot more work than I had imagined," he grumbled. "If I am supposed to do this realm any favor, I need to take a closer look at this castle, this dungeon and its management. Let's start here and work our way to the bottom…"

"You are forgetting your place, demon!" Kodachi shouted. "I summoned you. That means you only do what I tell you to do. Got it?"

The Reaper grimaced as he turned to face the vampiress. "Of course… mistress." He even lowered his head an inch when he said that. "I understand completely… you want this town raid to be accomplished as soon as possible. But if I may be so bold and make a suggestion… I am very experienced when it comes to the design, management and control of a dungeon. And if you'd consider listening to a few of my suggestions, I could ensure that this place runs a lot smoother and more efficient in the near future. Including the attack on the town."

"Hmmmm." Kodachi pondered his words for a while. "Very well… I will allow it, minion. I will show you around my domain and you will tell me your thoughts about it. Then I will consider making the necessary changes. Now, follow me!"

The demon smirked. "Your wish is my command, mistress."

Inwardly, he could only seethe at the fledgling Keeper's audacity and idiocy. The young upstart honestly believed that she had him under her control. Not nearly half of the needed paraphernalia were used in the ritual. There was no sacrifice, the summoning circle was not nearly as big enough as it should… it was a mystery to him how she even managed to summon him at all. It was probably dumb luck.

But now that he was here, he could use the situation for his own gain. It had been a long time since he had the chance to manipulate a Dungeon Keeper. And if the vampiress was as ego-driven… and stupid… as he hoped, she would be an easy one to control. And in the end, if he played his cards right, he could even turn her into the tool he needed to turn this town into a place where chaos and destruction reigned.

'Look out, Nerima,' he thought. 'Here comes your doom!'

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _The Horned Reaper and Dungeon Keeper belong to Bullfrog Productions._

 _Dungeons and Dragons belongs to Wizards of the Coast._


	9. Orb of Dungeon Keeper, Part III

Late in the evening, the inn customers slowly dispersed and left, one after another. The Vault Keepers and their assistants also went home. Kasumi and Genko waited at the door and said goodbye to each and everyone. Kasumi was so proud of Genko's manners that she complimented the pandaren girl, making her blush.

Afterwards, Genko ran to Nodoka, a big smile on her face. "Mistress? I have great news. Some of the customers have expressed interest in becoming students at our dojo."

"That's wonderful, dear," Nodoka beamed. "Well done, Genko-chan. Are you ready to call it a day?"

"Already? Are you sure there aren't some beds that still need to be made?" Genko eagerly asked. "Some floors that need to be scrubbed? Some laundry that needs to be done?"

"You've done more than enough this evening," Nodoka said. "Now get some well-earned rest. Also, I need to talk to your other half."

"Oh, I see," Genko nodded. "Then let me heat up some water…"

A few minutes later, Genma was back to his regular self, his head still a bit damp from the hot water. He had a slightly sour expression on his face, but also filled with hesitant approval.

"Weeeeell?" Nodoka approached him with a big grin. "Now do you think letting Genko-chan out was a good idea?"

Genma sighed. "Okay… fine… I guess accepting new students into the school is an acceptable outcome of this situation." He crossed his arms and grumbled. "I still think the dress is too frilly."

Nodoka gave her husband a hug. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the new students don't want to see their martial arts instructor in an outfit with frills." She chuckled. "By the way, have you also considered hiring a fighting instructor who's specialized in armed combat? A lot of adventurers coming through town use weapons, after all. And we are the only official dojo around."

"I really don't like the idea of having the noble art of Anything Goes share the spotlight with… unconventional practices, but I'll give it some thought," he said. "Maybe Ranma's new form can be of help. Where are the kids, anyway?"

"Kasumi's cleaning up the rest of the serving room," Nodoka said. "Akane and Ranma are in the dojo for some late practicing… Akane even put up some targets for her archery. As for Nabiki, she hasn't come home yet."

"That girl does whatever she wants," Soun said with a sigh as he entered the room. "And every time she's out late, I'm worried for her safety. Not every non-human immigrant in Nerima is friendly."

"Nabiki is a headstrong young… pony, old friend," Genma told him. "I'm sure she can take care of herself."

"You don't know how it is," Soun sighed. "Your son is a skilled martial artist and knows how to deal with trouble. So is Akane… but Nabiki never learned how to fight. I know I can't teach her regular martial arts, but can't she at least find a tutor for her magical skills? There are more than enough skilled mages and wizards in town."

"Maybe they can't teach her because she uses unicorn magic?" Nodoka guessed. "I couldn't say, I never had a magic user in my family."

Genma reassuringly patted his friend on the shoulder. "Well, don't worry, Soun. I'm sure she'll be back home before dinner."

Suddenly, screams and other loud noises from outside caught their attention. Nodoka gasped. "What in the world…?"

They ran outside. Ranma and Akane came running from the dojo as well. "Dad? What's going on?" Akane asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Soun said. "Wait, is that… fire over there?"

"I hear fighting noises," Nodoka said. "This is a town raid!"

"Dangit Kodachi…" Ranma swore. "Can't you go one week without sending your goons to attack and plunder? C'mon, Akane, we've got to help the townspeople…"

"R…ranma…" a weak voice called out. Ranma almost didn't hear it. But when he turned around, he saw a cloaked figure slowly staggering towards them.

Akane blinked. "Wait, is that… Gosunkugi? What's he doing here? Isn't he working for Kodachi?"

"Hey, warlock boy," Ranma frowned. "What's the big idea? Are you the one in charge of this raid?"

"M… me?" the pale boy's eyes widened. "N-no, you have it backwards… I'm here to warn you. The raid leader… he's a powerful demon summoned on the mistress' behalf earlier today. The Horned Reaper… you can't hope to defeat him in battle… he's an unstoppable maelstrom of bloodlust…"

"So what, do you expect us to simply let it happen?" Akane shouted. "If this demon is more dangerous than anything Kodachi has ever sent before, then people's lives are in danger."

"She's not sending him to kill people… but he will do it if he feels that anyone might impede his mission," Gosunkugi explained. "I have the feeling the mistress bit off more than she can chew this time… If the Horned Reaper is as cunning as the old texts say, he will try to manipulate her, and there will be hard times coming for Nerima."

"So he won't kill anyone until they resist, at least for now?" Ranma frowned. "So what are we supposed to do, then?"

"I don't think there's anything you can do," the warlock sighed. "When a Reaper strikes, he strikes swift. The raid might already be over and they're on their way back to the dungeon… I took a big risk by giving you this warning. I need to head back soon… if they find out I helped you…" He gulped. "Another warlock working for Mistress Kodachi disappointed her not too long ago, and believe me, her punishment was not pretty."

"Is there anything else you can tell us before you go?" Akane asked.

"W-well, the mistress imprisoned her sister…"

"Akiko? Again?" Ranma rolled his eyes. "Well, I know I'm not going near Kodachi's prison block anytime soon. Those Kuno girls are more clingy than Shampoo."

Gosunkugi raised a finger. "W-well… the orcs the Reaper commanded also captured Nabiki-san…"

"What?" Ranma and Akane shouted at once.

Soun and Nodoka looked at Genma. The Saotome patriarch scratched the back of his head. "Well, okay… maybe she won't be home until breakfast."

* * *

A duo of brawny orc warriors laughed in their deep-throated voices as they entered the dungeon's prison block. The taller of them carried a big burlap sack, which contained something struggling.

The prison warden was a vampire, just like Kodachi, but much more skinny and ugly, with a bald head and long, spindly fingers. "Well, well, well…" he said as he got up from his chair. "What did you fools bring me this time?"

"Tasty food!" the bigger orc said and licked his lips.

The shorter one whacked his companion on the head. "Idiot, it's not for eating," he growled. "It's for prison."

"Yes, I assume so," the warden sighed wearily. "Or else you wouldn't be here. But what IS it?"

"Oh," the bigger orc said. "Is little pony." He opened the sack and emptied its contents in front of the vampire.

The prison warden looked down at the bound and gagged form of Nabiki Tendo. Nabiki glanced up at him and groaned.

'Another fine mess you're finding yourself in, Tendo,' she thought. 'This is starting to get old…'

He sighed. "Another one of those? No wings this time, though… oh well. I guess the interrogation master will still find some amusement with this one. Throw her to the other equine." He made a commanding gesture.

The taller orc scratched his head. "To the what?"

"He means the other horsey," his companion explained.

Nabiki managed to spit out her gag. "Hey, I'm not a horse!" she shouted. "And watch the horn next time you grab me, buster… that thing's worth more than what you're paid."

The orcs looked at one another. "You getting paid?" "Me thought beating up small creatures is payment."

"This seems to be a feisty one," the vampire chuckled. "I'll be looking forward to breaking your spirit, unicorn. Now, throw her in the cell!"

The orcs grabbed Nabiki by her legs and carried her over to one of the prison cells. The warden unlocked the door, and they threw her in.

"Ow!" Nabiki winced as she landed on the hard stone floor. "Maybe a little gentler next time, please?"

"Oh, there won't be a next time," the warden chuckled as he locked the door. "You'll be staying in this cell… forever!" With a mean cackle, he turned around and left, followed by the two orcs.

"Well, this is just great," Nabiki snorted. "They could have at least taken off the ropes."

"Maybe I can help with that," a gentle voice spoke up.

Nabiki was lying in a position that made it very difficult to see the back half of her cell. She stretched her neck as far as she could to take a look at her new cellmate.

The first thing she saw was the upside-down face of a walleyed, blond-maned pony with grey fur.

"Are you okay?" the pony asked. "You don't look so good."

"I… I've had better days," Nabiki groaned. "Are… are you a unicorn, too? Who… are you?"

"Oh, I'm not a unicorn, I'm a pegasus," the walleyed pony said with a smile. She didn't appear to be too worried about their situation. "And my name's Derpy, Derpy Hooves. I didn't know they kidnapped another pony. Are you from Ponyville, too?"

"Pony… ville?" Nabiki muttered. "Where in the world is that? Also, can you help me get these ropes off? I'm getting dizzy looking at your face like this…"

"Oh, sorry, right away." Derpy quickly gnawed through the ropes until Nabiki was free. With a sigh, the unicorn sat up on her haunches and took a better look at the other pony.

She then noticed that Derpy did indeed have wings… or at least the remains of wings. "What did they do to you?" she gasped.

"They cut off my feathers as soon as they threw me in here," Derpy explained. "I think they'll grow back eventually. Still, that was pretty mean. Who are these guys, anyway? They don't look like diamond dogs or changelings… so what is this place?"

"I really don't know what you are talking about, but this is the dungeon of a vampire named Kodachi. She…" Nabiki hesitated. "Well, let's just say she's not the nicest person. Also, she's insane."

"That's too bad," Derpy explained. "Oh well, maybe Princess Twilight and her friends will come to save us, using the Elements of Harmony or whatever they use at the moment. Princess Twilight did save me once!" She smiled brightly at the memory. "I was a statue!"

"Princess… Twilight?" Nabiki wondered. "What princess? There are no princesses here. Well… if you don't count Kodachi and her bratty sister…"

"Sure there are!" Derpy giggled. "We have four princesses in Equestria. Well, five, but one's a baby. That makes four and a half, I guess? Or four and a quarter?"

"Equestria? Never heard of it… this is Nerima," Nabiki said.

"Don't listen to her," a gruff voice came from the cell to their right. "She's pretty ditzy and scatterbrained… I doubt she's right in the head. When she came in here, she told me all kind of crazy stuff." A laughing snort was heard. "Nonsense about magic ponies that move the sun and moon and defeat evil with the magic of friendship… what a moron!"

"I'm not a moron…" the grey pegasus said sadly and looked at the prison floor. "I just have trouble paying attention sometimes…"

For some reason, the image of the sad pony upset Nabiki. "Hey, don't call her that, whoever you are!" she shouted over to the other cell. "Just leave her alone, or else…"

"Or else… what?" the voice growled. The creature in the other cell stood up to its feet, and now Nabiki realized just how massive it was. It was a ginormous minotaur with a pair of horns that were almost as long as her entire body. Standing up, the beast was probably taller than even Ukyo's worgen form.

"Um… nothing…" Nabiki said in a tiny voice. She felt a bit intimidated. "You're… Pantyhose Taro, aren't you?"

"Keep using that name if you want to make me really angry," the bull-like creature roared.

"Yeah, he's a bit touchy when it comes to that," Derpy said. "I tried calling him Panty once. He was so mad, the warden had to cast a sleeping spell to sedate him. Not really sure why that makes him so angry, but I think it's just better to call him Taro. Other than that, he's actually quite nice. Minotaurs just like to be loud from time to time." She snickered. "I visited a confidence seminar run by a minotaur once, you know?"

"She's talking nonsense again," Taro groaned. "Well, better get used to it. You'll be here for a looong time."

"But isn't there a way out?" Nabiki asked. "With your strength, couldn't you just break down the doors?"

"You think I didn't try that?" Taro snorted. "I tried ramming, punching and stomping, but the damn thing wouldn't budge."

"The cell doors are magically enhanced," another female spoke up from the cell to Nabiki's left. "You cannot break them with brute force."

"And who are you?" Nabiki asked. The voice sounded familiar, if a bit mysterious. She walked closer to the bars separating them to get a better look. The figure was even more shrouded in shadows than Taro was. It was definitely a girl, crouching in the far corner of her cell. She wore a tattered cloak with a hood, so Nabiki wasn't quite able to see her face.

"My name is Miyo," the girl said in an almost melancholic voice. "I used to be one of Mistress Kodachi's warlocks, I specialized in clairvoyant spells. But then I did something to incur my mistress' wrath… she cast a spell on me that twisted my form and made her servants throw me in here. It's impossible to escape from here, believe me…"

"Why are you hiding over there?" Nabiki asked. "Come on over here, okay? I don't like talking to someone who's sitting on the opposite side of a room."

"I'm sorry…" Miyo said, her voice almost a whisper. "But I think it's better if I stayed in the dark."

"Then at least take off that hood, I can barely understand you," Nabiki said. "Hold on, I'll do it…" Her horn started glowing as she prepared to pull Miyo's hood off her head.

"NO, WAIT! DON'T DO IT!" Miyo suddenly yelled, her voice filled with panic. But Nabiki's spell was cast and her hood was pulled backwards… revealing a head that was not covered in hair, but in a mass of writhing, hissing snakes!

Nabiki gasped. "Y-you're a…"

"I'm sorry!" Miyo wailed as she turned her head around and looked at the wall. "I'm so, so sorry, I tried to warn you…"

Nabiki took a deep breath of air. "A g… g… gorgon…" Now that she had seen Miyo's face, she wished she hadn't… but it was too late. After she had stared at the slitted, reptilian eyes of the transformed girl, she felt how her whole body started to freeze and solidify. Slowly, she changed from a living, breathing pony into an inanimate statue.

Derpy walked up to her. "Don't worry… she's okay," she said. "When you're made of stone, you can't talk, eat or breathe… but you're still alive and aware of everything that happens around you. All we need to do is to find something to heal her." She smiled. "Or we wait until Princess Twilight saves the day again."

"You want to wait until an imaginary pony princess from an imaginary land shows up to heal her and save us?" Taro grunted. "Oh, and here I was getting worried. Wake me when she shows up." He sat back down and leaned against the wall.

Derpy was right, though. Nabiki was unable to move, but she was fully conscious and saw and heard everything that happened around her.

'Well,' she thought to herself. 'My day just keeps getting better and better. At least it can't get any worse than this…'

* * *

When Ranma and Akane came past Ucchan's, they saw that the okonomiyaki store had been one of the raid party's targets. Several windows were broken and multiple weapons and cooking utensils were littering the street. Ukyo and Konatsu were busy helping some customers and pedestrians that got caught in the crossfire. Konatsu tended to a young woman with several bruises, and Ukyo helped the reptilian salesman from before straighten up his tipped-over cart.

"Ucchan, are you all right?" Ranma asked his childhood friend with worry.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," the worgen-girl said. "Konatsu and I made sure to send those orcs running with their tails between their legs. Lizard dude here helped out too, he's actually a decent fighter."

"Would you stop calling me a lizard?" the merchant hissed in annoyance. "I'm an Argonian, my name's Dyle. I used to be a mercenary before the vampire lady pulled me through her portal, so yeah, I know a thing or two about fighting. Even though the orcs back home were a lot tougher than those wimps."

"Yeah well, you still did a swell job protecting these people," Ukyo smiled. "I guess I'm not too mad at you anymore for setting up shop in front of my restaurant."

"Ucchan, we're on our way to Kodachi's castle," Ranma informed her. "You wanna come, too?"

Ukyo frowned. "Ranchan, seriously. You need to stop playing the hero at every opportunity. You realize Kodachi is only doing that to lure you in in order to get her undead claws on you, right? The damage her goons cause is always short-lived and she knows it. Wrecking Nerima isn't really one of her main goals."

"Usually I'd say you're right, Ukyo," Akane said. "But this time, she captured Nabiki. And Gosunkugi warned us that she summoned a real nasty demon that might become a big problem."

"She took Nabiki, you say?" Ukyo gritted her teeth. "That unicorn can't last one day without getting herself into trouble, can she?" She let out a deep sigh. "All right, I'm with you. Konatsu, you're on cleanup duty. Help these people and get the wounded ones to Dr. Tofu. Afterwards, clean up store."

The crossdressing ninja nodded. "Got it, Ukyo-sama."

"I'm gonna help her," Dyle said. "You kids go on and help your friends, but be careful. That castle's a nasty place." He nodded towards Konatsu. "All right, let's get to work, girlie."

"Excuse me," Konatsu spoke up. "But I'm male, not female."

"Huh," the Argonian scratched his frills. "And here I thought I got the sexual dimorphisms of humans figured out."

"We'll be fine," Ukyo said. "See you guys later." And she ran off with Ranma and Akane. "How do we even get into the castle?" she asked. "Not the front gate, I assume?"

Akane shook her head. "No, Gosunkugi told us that it's always locked and there are animated suits of armor guarding the entrance. However, there's a secret entrance on the west wall. Most of the adventurers who plan to raid her dungeon enter through there."

"For real? I wonder why Kodachi never decided to seal that entrance off, then," Ukyo frowned.

* * *

The Horned Reaper threw the door leading to Kodachi's personal quarters open. "It is done, Dungeon Keeper," he proclaimed with a sneer. "The town is pillaged, a prisoner was made and no life was taken. It was as dull and boring as you wished it to be."

"Don't you have any manners?" Kodachi snapped. "Knock next time before you enter! Also, I demand a little bit more respect. I am your mistress, after all."

The Reaper grimaced. "As you wish... mistress. Now, have you decided whether or not you'll condescend to telling me the next step in your brilliant plan?"

"I suppose I might as well," the vampiress said. "As you already know, my main goal is to lure my beloved Ranma here into my domicile. And with one of my friends in my grasp, I won't have to wait for much longer to see his manly face." She sighed.

"Please let's not get into details," the demon shuddered. "But that's it? Forgive me for saying this, but that's not the most creative plan I've heard. So what do you want me to do next? Wait for the hero, subdue him and bring him to you?"

"No, I don't think I'll need a demon to do that," Kodachi said. "I have more than enough minion for that task. Besides, you brute would only maim his handsome body. Instead, I want you to start working on those improvements for my dungeon you told me about."

The Horned Reaper grinned with glee. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. "Your wish is my command. I'll leave you to your… games with your little hero. Should you need me, I'll be near the dungeon heart."

"Yes yes, you are dismissed." Kodachi waved her hand. "Sasuke? Accompany the Horned Reaper and make sure he doesn't touch anything he's not supposed to."

With a flash, the imp ninja appeared and bowed before Kodachi. "As you wish, mistress."

"Wait, what?" The Horned Reaper glared at Sasuke, making the imp cower nervously. "You are placing me under surveillance of an IMP? The lowest caste of demons that exists?" He let out a furious roar. "How much disgrace are you trying to subject me to, youngling Keeper?"

"Know your place!" Kodachi shouted. "Sasuke has been a loyal servant of this house for years and he is trained in the ways of the ninja. While he is just a lowly servant, he has rightfully earned his place under my feet… a place you still need to learn, demon!"

The Horned Reaper shook with rage. He was very tempted to just pick up his scythe and kill the vampiress and her imp minion on the spot. 'Patience,' he told himself. 'She will be your willing puppet soon enough… and then you will have your bloodbath. So just play along for a bit longer…'

"Very well…" he snorted and glared down at Sasuke. "Show me the way to the dungeon heart at once, imp!"

The imp bowed his head again… towards his mistress. Then he walked outside and the Reaper followed him. Kodachi sighed in relief. "Finally, that brute is gone. He might be a good fighter, but he definitely needs to learn that a Kuno's word is absolute. Also, he has no flair for romance. Now, to prepare for a night with my darling Ranma…"

* * *

Some time later… Ranma, Ukyo and Akane were making their way through one of the tunnels in Kodachi's dungeon. It was dirty, wet and only dimly lit with torches hanging from the walls.

"I'm really shocked no one tried to stop us from getting in," Ranma muttered. "This seems too easy, if you ask me."

"Maybe it's a trap," Ukyo assumed. "She's probably preparing her troops for an ambush."

"Would you two be quiet?" Akane whispered. While the other two were talking to each other, she was already going ahead, carefully inspecting the floor and the walls.

"Um, Akane?" Ranma spoke up. "What're you doing?"

"Searching for traps and secrets, obviously," Akane said in a hushed voice. "I've read a couple of books on the subject ever since I got the orb from Hiroshi. And I realized that I've started to pay more attention to small details that tell me when someone was somewhere. Little dirt trails… footprints… scattered leaves and other things."

"You can do that?" Ukyo was impressed. "Wow, looks like you really did become a true forest ranger, huh?"

"But this isn't the forest, it's just a simple corridor," Ranma assumed. "If there's something here, we can easily see it. Let's just hurry up and search for Nabiki…"

"Ranma, stop!" Akane hissed. She firmly put her arm in front of her fiance. For a moment, she felt the familiar urge to pull out her mallet in anger… but she managed to subdue that urge.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Ranma groaned. "I told you, there's nothing there."

"If you would just listen to me for once in your life…" Akane said through gritted teeth. "Look over there and see what you almost ran into…" She took one of the torches from the wall and illuminated the path ahead.

At first, Ranma and Ukyo didn't see a thing. But then they realized that there was a thin wire stretched across the floor. "See that? It's a trap," she said. She reached into her pouch and took a small pebble from it. Aiming carefully, she threw the pebble onto the wire.

A barrage of arrows came shooting out of the left wall and pierced the wall to their right.

"See?" Akane said. "A hidden arrow trap. Had we just kept on walking carelessly, we would have triggered it. This is a dungeon… Kodachi's dungeon. We need to be very careful, her troops aren't the only danger in here."

And for once, Ranma actually was glad he listened to Akane. "I… I'll be more careful," he said. "But that… that was truly amazing, Akane. I would've never seen it myself."

Akane looked at him with joy. "R… really? You really mean it?"

"Yeah, of course," Ranma smiled. "Those ranger skills of yours are definitely very useful down here."

While Akane beamed at her fiance happily, Ukyo couldn't help but frown. While she agreed with Ranma that Akane's tracking skills were pretty useful, she instantly got jealous when he complimented her. But this wasn't the time and place to settle this, so she swallowed her jealousy for now and walked past the two. "Let's go," she said. "I'm smelling something ahead… wet leather and troll stench. Looks like a couple of Kodachi's goons are in the next room…"

Ranma cracked his knuckles. "Then let's be nice guests and say hello."

"This will be over soon, " Akane said, drawing her short sword. "Nabiki will have to wait just a little longer."

* * *

"It's getting really boring down here, don't you guys agree?" Derpy asked. "Oh, I know… let's play a game!" She grinned. "I know a fun one Pinkie Pie taught me. It's called '20 million questions'. You'll think of something and I'll try to guess it. Taro, you're first… Is it the ceiling? Is it the floor? Is it the iron bars?"

"Find someone else to play your silly games with," the minotaur grumbled.

"Oh, fine!" Derpy frowned. "You know what Pinkie would call you? A big party pooper! Oh well, I guess it's your turn now, Nabiki. What are you thinking about? Is it that wall? Is it that other wall? Is it that patch of mold? Oh, wait a minute… you can't actually tell me what it is, huh? My bad…"

Inwardly, Nabiki groaned. 'Ranma, Akane… please tell me you're here to get me out of here soon…'

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _Derpy Hooves and My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _The Horned Reaper and Dungeon Keeper belong to Bullfrog Productions._

 _Argonians and The Elder Scrolls belong to Bethesda Game Studios._


	10. Orb of Dungeon Keeper, Part IV

Ranma, Akane and Ukyo came bursting through the entrance door of the prison block. "All right, nobody move!" Akane shouted, raising her bow. "I'm here to get my sister out… and all the other prisoners, while we're at it."

"Huh?" Ranma looked around. There were no guards around… the only one waiting for them was the vampire prison warden. "Is that all?"

"I guess we already beat up all his pals," Ukyo said. "All right, fangy... Give us the keys and I'll consider not smashing in your face." To emphasize, she smashed the table in front of him with one blow.

The warden chuckled. "What a brutish display of force and savagery! Say, lycanthrope… did you know that those who rely on strength tend to be weak-minded?"

"I'm not a lycanthrope," Ukyo growled. "Why does everyone compare me with a werewolf? I'm a worgen! Also, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, I'll be happy to show you," the vampire smiled. Suddenly, a huge figure appeared right behind him and glared at the three intruders with red eyes. "Or rather, he will show you."

Ranma gasped. "Is that… Taro?" The minotaur snorted and flexed his arms. Nothing about him seemed to indicate that he recognized the pig-tailed martial artist. "What did you do to him?"

"Quite simple… vampires like me are able to control those with weak minds," the warden grinned as he stepped behind Taro. "One look into his eyes and even this hulking beast turns into a will-less servant. I honestly wonder why my mistress even pays some of her minions when she could easily use her magic to turn every single one of them into efficient mind slaves. But enough talk… minion! Take them down, but make sure the werewolf lives. She would make an excellent bodyguard…"

"I told you, I'm a worgen!" Ukyo snarled. She gritted her teeth when the towering minotaur approached her. "Oh no, this won't be pretty…"

"Make sure to keep him busy," Ranma said. "I'll handle the vampire. Akane, you hurry and find Nabiki."

"I'm on it," she nodded. Under normal circumstances, Akane would have been upset that Ranma didn't let her fight as well. But this was about finding her sister, so she was happy to leave this fight to them, at least for the moment. Ukyo and Ranma were the close combat specialists now anyway…

Ranma ducked when Taro swung one of his huge fists at him, rolled under it and quickly stood up to face the warden. Taro tried to stop Ranma from reaching the vampire, but before he could even turn around, Ukyo hit his head with a swing of her spatula. Roaring with pain, he faced the worgen girl.

"Come on, you big pile of roast beef!" she shouted. "Are you trying to hit me or are you swatting flies?" She didn't know if the minotaur could even understand her in this state. But maybe she could lower his accuracy by making him angry. Getting hit with these fists didn't look like it would be pretty. At least he didn't have a weapon.

Meanwhile, Ranma faced the warden. "This oughta be quick," Ranma smirked as he raised his fists. "You look pretty thin and wimpy. Do you even know how to fight?"

"Boastful mortal," the vampire laughed. "How do you actually plan on hurting me? Do you want to slay me with your bare fists? Me, a member of the undead?"

"Well, I could try it… but I've got some other tricks up my sleeve," Ranma said. "Moko Takabisha!"

The ki blast hit the vampire in the chest and threw him back against the wall. "Gyyyaaah!" he screeched with anger. "What… what kind of spell is this even? It doesn't matter… you're mine, fool!" He bared his fangs and moved towards Ranma, faster than the martial artist could have predicted. He grabbed his wrists and pushed him against the wall. Ranma actually started sweating as he fought against the vampire's iron grip. "Dangit… how can a wimpy-looking guy like you be so strong?"

"Fool!" the warden shouted. "You know nothing about fighting a vampire… it'll be my pleasure to drink your blood…" He opened his mouth wide and moved it towards Ranma's neck.

"Sorry, not today!" Ranma managed to free his right hand, punched the warden to make him stumble back and then quickly reached backwards to pull one of the torches from the wall. "I'm not very good with monsters and magic and all that stuff, true," he said. "But correct me if I'm wrong… aren't undead creatures weak to fire?" He swung the torch into the warden's direction.

"AH! No! Keep that thing away!" the vampire yelled as he ducked under the fire. "Why oh why did the mistress insist on putting torches everywhere?" He stumbled backwards into a cell which was currently open and empty. From the ground, he picked up a pail of water and threw it in Ranma's direction. He grinned triumphantly when he saw how the flames of the torch were doused. "There, that should take care of all my… problems…"

The warden looked up into the face of a wet, and enraged amazon. "Say your prayers to whatever dark god you worship, bloodsucker!" She drew her sword. "For now you face manifold problems!"

Akane ran down the hall, past several cells that held all kinds of different inmates. She took quick looks left and right to see if any of the creatures looked at least similar to a unicorn. "Nabiki?" she asked. "Sis? Where are you? Hey, does anyone of you know if there's a small unicorn pony in here?"

"Over here!" Akane followed the voice and was surprised to find a different pony sitting in one of the cells, right next to a… unicorn statue?

But then she recognized the statue's face. "No!" she gasped. "Nabiki! How did this happen?"

"Sh-she looked into my eyes…" Miyo sobbed from her cell. "I didn't mean to turn her to stone… I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry," Derpy said. "She's alive, she just can't move."

"Oh, r-really?" Akane was very relieved. She patted Nabiki's stone head. "You hear that, Nabiki? You're fine."

'I wouldn't exactly call my situation 'fine', Akane…' Nabiki thought to herself.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, sis," Akane reassured her petrified pony sibling. "As soon as I know how… I don't think I can carry you. You're way too heavy."

'Wait, is she calling me fat?' Nabiki thought.

"You're Nabiki's sister?" Derpy asked. "You don't look like a unicorn to me. But I'm not one to judge." She smiled. "After all, my little daughter is a unicorn, too. And the Cakes are earth ponies and have a unicorn and a pegasus foal. So, having a human as a sister is perfectly normal, right?"

"Can we talk about pony inheritance later?" Akane sighed. "I need some way to turn her back to normal so we can get out of here."

"Th… there's a potion that cures petrification," Miyo spoke up. She pulled her hood back over her head so Akane or Derpy wouldn't accidentally be turned into stone as well. "I know how to make it."

"Really? That's great!" Akane smiled. "What do you need?"

"Um, I… I'm sorry, but I can't really make it here," the gorgon apologized. "I need a cauldron and a fireplace… also, one of the ingredients is pulverized unicorn horn."

Akane groaned.

'And right after I gave my horn filings to Cologne…' Nabiki thought. 'Fate really wants to be mean to me today.'

"Don't worry," Miyo said. "The warden has a samples of several healing potions in his office. Including a petrification cure, in case a basilisk or cockatrice is imprisoned down here. Just go down the hall and through the door. The keys to the cell are there, too."

"Thanks," Akane said. "I'll be right back." She ran over to the door Miyo mentioned.

"See, Nabiki?" Derpy smiled. "Everything's fine. We're getting out of here and you're back to normal soon. We didn't even need he help of Princess Twilight. Everything turned out to be okay. Aren't you glad?"

Nabiki didn't respond.

"Oops, I forgot again, you still can't talk."

It didn't take Akane very long to find the warden's office. Next to his desk, there was a small shelf with several flasks filled with potions, just like Miyo said. Also, there was a big key ring hanging on the wall.

"Let's see," Akane muttered. "Cure Petrification, Cure Petrification… ah, over there. Good thing these are all labeled. I may be a good tracker and archer now, but I know nothing about potion making." She grabbed the flask as well as the key ring and ran back.

But when she came past a certain cell door near the end of the hall, she heard a familiar voice. "Akane… Akane Tendo, you need to let me out of here."

Akane stopped and looked into the cell. "What the… Akiko, is that you?"

The young princess nodded. "My demented sister has imprisoned me to lure Ranma into her clutches. Please, I see you're holding the keys… you need to help me escape from this dungeon. It's been DAYS ever since I've had a proper bath!"

Akane frowned. "You know what, your royal highness? In all the years we've been at the same school, you've been nothing but a royal pain. You insulted and attacked me just because all the male idiots at Furinkan wanted to date me instead of you. You went after Ranma almost as much as Kodachi, Ukyo and Shampoo combined and you blamed ME when he said he wasn't interested. Seeing you in this predicament, begging me for help… to be perfectly honest, I'm really enjoying this more than I probably should.

"B-b-but…" Akiko whimpered. "Come oooon, that's all in the past, isn't it? I reeeeeaally wanna leave this place… so pleeeeeaase… you can help me, right, Akane? Akane-chan? Friend? Senpai?" Akiko looked up at Akane with a big pair of adorable puppy dog eyes.

Akane sighed and said through gritted teeth: "It's a martial artist's duty… to help those in need. Oh, fine. I know I'm going to regret this, but let's get you out of here." She unlocked the younger Kuno's cell with one of the keys.

"YAY!" Akiko cheered. "You're the BEST, Akane-chan… I will never forget this. I will be your bestest friend forever and I will certainly not kick you out of the picture when Ranma-darling and I marry…"

Akane frowned. "What was that?"

Akiko smiled innocently. "Nothing."

* * *

"For Hera!" Ranma smashed her shield into the warden's face.

"Owwwww!" the vampire yowled. "Not the face, not the FACE! Okay, I yield, I yield!"

Ranma raised her blade. "Tell me one reason why I shouldn't reduce you to a pile of dust on the spot, bloodsucker!"

"Oh, I know a couple of reasons," the warden said nervously. "You need me to remove your friend's hypnosis… honorable warriors don't kill their opponents until they absolutely have to… I don't want to die… those are all very good reasons, don't you agree?"

Hesitantly, the amazon lowered her weapon. "Your words are as slippery as the Lernean Hydra, villain," she said with disgust. "You would say anything to save your skin… but I admit that they carry a grain of truth. Amazons are not merciless killers… so I will not destroy you if you remove the curse from the minotaur's mind."

"Oh, of course, I shall, right away," the warden nodded and made a quick gesture with his hands.

Taro, who was just about to smack Ukyo with both of his fists at once, suddenly blinked in confusion as the bloodlust left his eyes. "Wh… what? What happened? What did I do?"

"Um… you almost grinded me into dog kibble, big guy," Ukyo said. "Feeling better now?"

"Y-yeah, I guess so," the minotaur said, rubbing his head. "Um, sorry about that, by the way."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," the worgen smirked. "Besides, it was a good workout."

The warden grinned at Ranma. "There, see? I did what you asked me to do. Now, you can let me go and we can put all of this behind… URK!" His eyes rolled up into his skull when he was hit with the blunt side of Ranma's sword hilt. Unconscious, he fell to the ground.

"An amazon might not kill senselessly," Ranma muttered. "But she still makes sure no evil deed goes unpunished."

"Saotome? Is that you?" Taro asked in his gruff voice as he approached him. "That's, uh… a great new look you have there."

"Save the pleasantries for later, minotaur," Ranma said. "There are more prisoners to be rescued. Let us find Akane and Nabiki."

"The little unicorn's in that cell over there," Taro said.

They reached Nabiki's and Derpy's cell at the same time as Akane, as she returned with Akiko.

"Hey guys, I found the keys, and a petrification cure for Nabiki," Akane smiled.

"Petrification?" Ukyo gasped as she looked at Nabiki's stone form. "How did THAT happen?"

Miyo sniffled a bit in her cell. Before she could say anything, Derpy said: "Well, I… don't really know what went wrong."

"And that doesn't matter anymore," Akane added. "I have the cure right here."

"Wait a minute!" Akiko intervened, glaring at Ranma's muscular amazon body. "Is that… the pig-tailed girl? What's SHE doing here? And… why is she so big?"

Ranma frowned. "While I'm not too happy to see you, princess, I suppose I am here to save you as well."

"Hmph!" Akiko crossed her arms in a huff. "And here I was hoping to be saved by my darling Ranma, not some… brute!"

"But that IS Ran…" Akane rolled her eyes. "Never mind… we have more important things to take care of." She opened the cell, knelt down next to Nabiki and poured the potion over her head.

As soon as the liquid touched the stone, cracks appeared in it. Then, the rocky hull surrounding Nabiki's body shattered like glass. The unicorn took a deep breath of air.

"Thank GOODNESS!" she gasped. "You guys have NO idea what it's like to be confined like that. You feel like you should suffocate any moment, but you won't. And my nose was itching the whole time."

"Allow me," Derpy said. With her hoof, she scratched her fellow pony's snout.

"Who are you anyways?" Ukyo asked the pegasus.

"I'm Derpy Hooves," she smiled. "I came here through a big portal."

"Probably the summoning portal to Equestria," Akiko said. "My sister doesn't really like the cute inhabitants of that land, but she's interested in its magic."

"What, so there IS a whole land of ponies?" Taro asked in surprise.

"I hate to interrupt, but can this wait?" Akane sighed. "We need to get out of here, and there are still dozens of prisoners waiting to be rescued."

"You are right," Ranma nodded. "We shall talk later. Can you walk, little equines?"

"Yup!" Derpy nodded. "They cut my feathers, but my legs are fine."

"They only hurt my pride, Saotome," Nabiki said. "And I have a name, you know?"

Akane took the keys. "All right! Ukyo, help me free everyone. And Nabiki? Can you conjure up some hot water for Ranma?"

"So I guess I'm the water mare now," Nabiki muttered. "All right, I guess I owe you one, Saotome. Let's call us even after this favor. But every time after that, I'm expecting some yen."

Ukyo shook her head as she looked at Nabiki with pity. "You still don't get it…" Then she followed Akane.

The first one Akane freed was Miyo. She unlocked her prison door and said: "Hey, come on! You're free to go."

"Don't look at me!" Miyo cried as she scooted even further into the dark corner of her cell. "I don't want to hurt you, too…"

"Oh, for the love of…" Akane groaned and ripped a piece of cloth from her ranger outfit. She walked up to Miyo from behind and quickly tied the cloth around her eyes. "There, now you don't have to be worried about cursing anyone again. Take my hand and I'll lead the way."

"Oh…" Miyo said in surprise, raising her hands to feel the blindfold on her face. "Th… thank you… that will do the job, I suppose." Akane helped her stand up. "But… I really don't want to leave Gosunkugi behind… he was always so good to me… and with that demon around, I fear what will happen to him…"

"I'm… sure we'll figure something out," Akane said. "For now, let's at least get out of this prison block."

Nabiki was pretty exhausted from the whole ordeal, but casting a simple water conjuration spell was pretty easy and not too tiring. She levitated the small bubble of hot water towards Ranma and splashed it in the amazon's face.

Ranma winced as he turned back into a man. "Still hot, but you're getting better at it, Nabiki. At least this time it wasn't scalding hot."

Akiko's eyes lit up with joy. "RANMA-DARLING!"

"Oh no…"

GLOMP!

"My beloved Ranma!" Akiko squealed as she clung to Ranma like a little girl on Christmas. "You came to save me, I knew you would… but wait." She let go of him and looked around in confusion. "Where is the barbaric pig-tailed one?"

"I've told you before, Akiko, it's a curse," Ranma sighed. "I turn into the pig-tailed girl whenever I get wet."

"Wh-what?" Akiko gasped. "What foul sorcerer would put such an abominable curse on the man I love?"

"He managed to do that on his own," Nabiki rolled her eyes. "His father had the bright idea to spar over several cursed springs and Ranma was clumsy enough to fall in."

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to be cursed," Ranma frowned.

"Oh, that is terrible," Akiko sighed. "My poor, poor Ranma… to be forced into a form as brutish and uncivilized as that… let me show you my pity with a kiss…" She once again wrapped her arms around Ranma's neck and pulled herself up so the two of them were face to face.

Ranma was feeling very uncomfortable at the moment. "Um… Akiko? I don't really think…"

"Ssshhhh…" she whispered. "It's all right… let me kiss all your worries away… when I do this, you won't even have to worry about the pig-tailed brute anymore… you'll have a new, better body… and we'll fly through the night together, for all eternity…"

She opened her mouth to reveal her elongated fangs and aimed at Ranma's neck…

…only to be smashed on the head by Akane's mallet. "I knew I should have left you in that cell!" she growled. "Ranma, you idiot! Kodachi's a vampire, why do you believe Akiko would be any different?"

"Um…" Ranma looked down at Akiko's knocked out, pale body. "Honestly… the possibility never crossed my mind. But I guess that's why she always carries that parasol with her when she's at school on sunny days." He then looked at the mallet, with a bit of worry. "Okay… so that thing still works, even if you aren't a martial artist anymore. Good to know."

"That's probably because it's not a martial arts technique, but the manifestation of a woman's wrath," Derpy smiled. Everyone looked at her. "What?"

"Let's just put Akiko and the warden into a cell," Ukyo said. "After all, there's more than enough room for them now." She gestured behind herself, where a sizeable crowd of former inmates were waiting to escape, a colorful group made of dwarves, elves, khajiit, Zoras, snake men and more.

Just a moment later, Taro threw the still unconscious forms of Akiko and the warden into one of the empty cells. Akane quickly closed the door and locked it tight. "The cells are magic-proof," the minotaur said with an amused snort. "That means even vampires have a hard time getting out, too."

"I know Kodachi is going to get Akiko out eventually, but let's hope she waits for a while before she does that. A week or so would be nice…" Akane said.

"Okay, everyone ready to go?" Ranma asked. "Let's get out of here!"

They reached the entrance of the prison block without any problems. However, just when Ranma reached for the exit door, it opened up from the other side. Ranma went into his battle stance to prepare for whatever creature Kodachi had sent to stop them from leaving, but… it was just Gosunkugi.

"What? Gos? What are you doing here?" Ranma wondered.

"I… I couldn't take it anymore," the young warlock groaned. "Mistress Kodachi is making one bad decision after another… so I… I wanted to save at least Miyo. So I snuck out of the library, past the beholders… down into the dungeon… and I thought, maybe you guys already took care of the guards. And if not, I could always bribe them… either way, I am not letting Miyo suffer any longer."

"Hikaru…" Miyo gasped. "You're risking so much by coming down here… just for me?" She blindly felt around until her hands found those of Hikaru. "I didn't know anybody cared for me… but you should have just let me here… I'm just a monster, only good for hurting people…"

"You're not!" Gosunkugi protested. "You're a kind person, and your predictions always come true. The mistress is just too stubborn to realize that."

"Can you two lovebirds save it for later?" Taro grumbled. "The longer we stay, the bigger the chance we'll get caught. And I really don't want to run into that Horned Reaper…"

"Speaking of which, where is that guy right now?" Nabiki asked.

"Sasuke is leading him to the dungeon heart," Gosunkugi explained. "He said he wants to help her improve the dungeon, but I have the feeling he's got something really awful in mind. If the mistress is not careful, the Reaper will have control over everything."

"Do we even care about what happens to Kodachi?" Ukyo asked. "Aren't we doing the town a favor by stopping all those raids she's sending to Nerima week after week? To be more clear, she brought this up on herself."

"Don't think for a moment that the attacks would stop," Miyo whispered. "On the contrary, everything would be much more horrible than before. A Horned Reaper doesn't take prisoners… he revels in slaughtering innocents. A Horned Reaper doesn't attack once or twice a week… he attacks every day, even multiple times, to satisfy his bloodlust. A Horned Reaper wouldn't be satisfied with his dungeon being basically a tourist attraction… he would strike so much fear into his opponents that nobody would ever consider assaulting his keep again." She shivered. "Allowing the Reaper to have his way would be a much, much worse alternative than Mistress Kodachi."

"Oooookaaaayyy…" Ukyo grimaced. "Never mind. We should definitely stop him."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Taro grunted. "We're talking about a Horned Reaper here! Not even I would stand a chance in a one-on-one battle. And to be honest… I doubt we'd be able to take him on even if all of us attacked at once."

"So… what CAN we do?" Ranma wondered.

Everyone stayed silent for a while. The prisoners were getting uneasy and restless. Suddenly, Derpy of all people let out a gasp and said:

"I've got an idea!"

* * *

The Horned Reaper put his hand on the shimmering crystal surface of the dungeon heart. Even as a demon as old and powerful as he was, he still felt awed at the sheer magnitude of power that flowed through an artifact like this. He could feel the activities and thoughts of all the creatures in the dungeon, was able to look into every room and corridor and mentally command any monster bound to this heart.

If he were the Dungeon Keeper, that is.

But the mistress of this place had given him permission to reorganize the dungeon's structure, which was basically free access to the dungeon heart and all of its functions.

"What's this? She's creating an art gallery in the west wing? What an utter waste of gold and resources." He snorted. "And there isn't even a single Dark Mistress in her employment… how is she planning on running a torture chamber without at least one of those? But all of this is going to change… Soon enough, she'll be dancing on my strings." He chuckled to himself. "And then I'll turn this ridiculous idea of a dungeon into a proper stronghold of evil. Nerima will burn… I will make sure of it."

"You will do… what?"

Annoyed, the Horned Reaper turned his head to look at the ninja imp standing behind him. "Oh, you're still here," he said with the tone of someone who discovered a rat in his house. "Why don't you vermin go dig a tunnel or something? I'm busy…"

"It is not Mistress Kodachi's intention to destroy Nerima," Sasuke shouted. "I have reasons to believe you are not acting in the mistress' best interests." He drew his blade.

"You really need to be put in your place, imp," the Reaper growled as he slowly turned around. "Do you honestly believe a lower demon like you can stop ME? This place is going to change, like it or not. And if you decide to stay loyal to that lunatic vampire, then you can die! I can always summon more imps."

"I don't care how powerful you are," Sasuke said through gritted teeth. "If you conspire against the noble house of Kuno, then you are my enemy." With a swift strike, he attacked the taller demon.

The Horned Reaper didn't even need to raise his scythe. A single backhanded slap with his left hand was all he needed to fling the small ninja retainer into the wall of the dungeon heart's chamber. Sasuke groaned and tried to get back up to his feet.

"Insolent fool…" the Reaper chuckled as he slowly approached the determined, but out of his league imp. "You have chosen death."

"N-n-n… not so fast!" a small, quivering voice squeaked.

With a frown, the Reaper looked to his left… and saw two of Kodachi's warlocks standing there. "Aren't you the one who summoned me?" he asked. "Don't tell me you are defending this pathetic imp."

"I am… I am defending Mistress Kodachi!" Gosunkugi said. His legs were like putty and his whole body was shaking like a leaf, but he was not running away. "Insane or not, at least she gave all of her minions a place to stay… a job to do… and a reason to exist. We all gained something from being able to go to Nerima at all times, no matter if it was for a small raid or a drink at the local inn." He raised his shaking finger. "YOU are planning to do everything yourself… why would you still need servants if you want to fight all the fights on your own? And how can we still have a town to raid if you decide to destroy it? We NEED Nerima… as much as it needs us."

"You keep saying 'we'," the Reaper chuckled. "As if you're even part of the Dungeon Keepers plan. You are a minion… a tool to be used. You can be discarded at any moment. What delusions did that vampire put in your brains that you consider yourself as something that's even remotely important?"

"Because… " Sasuke said as he slowly got back to his feet. "Every good Dungeon Keeper NEEDS the help of his minions. And only loyal minions are good minions." He raised his sword again. "That's something you obviously don't understand!"

The Horned Reaper let out a dangerous growl. "I'm just going to kill you now… this blathering is starting to get on my nerves." He raised his scythe.

"Oh, s-sure… go ahead and do that. It won't change a thing," Gosunkugi said. "Oh, and by the way… before you decide to decapitate us… could you look over here for a moment?"

The Reaper turned his head… and Gosunkugi removed the hood of the other warlock standing right next to him.

The demon's eyes widened as he stared directly into a writhing mass of snakes and into the slitted eyes of Miyo.

"Oh, devil dammit."

* * *

One day later, Akiko was sitting in Kuno Castle's rose garden on a bench, an adorable pout on her face.

A few steps away, her big sister stood and talked with Sasuke.

"Very well, Sasuke. Tell the warlocks to prepare a couple of summoning rituals. I want my prison cells filled again, either with new creatures or with incompetent minions. Warlock Miyo is in charge of making the important choices. She can consider this her payment for her good services."

Sasuke bowed his head. "It shall be as you wish, mistress." And he vanished.

Kodachi sat down next to Akiko. "Are you upset, sister dearest?"

"I was sooo close to turning Ranma-darling into a vampire," Akiko sulked. "And then that stupid… nincompoop Akane Tendo interfered!"

"Don't cuss, Akiko-chan. It is unbecoming of a lady, especially a member of the noble house of Kuno," Kodachi admonished her. "So our plan ended in a failure. Does it really matter in the end? The dungeon is still under our control and our servants are more loyal than ever. That last raid also proved that Nerima has more than enough reasons to fear us. As for Ranma-darling… he shall be ours sooner or later. If a vampire is good at one thing, it is waiting."

Akiko sighed. "I guess. I'm just surprised that demon you summoned actually wanted to deceive you."

"Good help is hard to find these days," Kodachi explained. "I've realized from the start that he was nothing but a ruffian. Unfit to serve a noble, especially one with a mind as astute and cunning as mine."

"But wasn't it you who decided to let him access the dungeon heart?" Akiko asked with a frown.

Kodachi smiled. "There was no danger in the first place. Sasuke would have informed me, even without the intervention of our two little warlocks. Still, I think they deserve some recognition. After all… without their help, our lovely garden wouldn't have its newest piece of decoration.

Akiko giggled. "That is true."

As they enjoyed the quiet night together, the tall demon statue behind them could just gape ahead and silently curse the day it had been summoned to Nerima. Either way, the Horned Reaper would not be a threat to anyone for a very long time…

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _Derpy Hooves and My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _The Horned Reaper and Dungeon Keeper belong to Bullfrog Productions._


	11. Essence of Orc

The next day was a free day for Nabiki. Every student who got captured or enslaved by the local Dungeon Keeper, did not have to go to school or work the following day. That was one of the basic rules in Nerima. So Nabiki was looking forward to a relaxing day after all the craziness of the past few days.

In the morning, Nabiki woke up in her bed with a yawn. She decided not to open her eyes right away and instead just enjoyed the warm sunlight that was shining through her window. She was very glad that for once, she wasn't woken up by the loud sparring noises of Ranma and his father, or the angry voice of her sister. No, it was a very calm and quiet morning. Some birds were chirping, the smell of freshly baked muffins was in the air…

Wait a minute, her brain told her. Muffins? Since when did Kasumi make muffins?

She opened her eyes… and saw a tray of warm muffins right in front of her eyes. It was being held by a smiling, grey-coated pegasus.

"Good morning!" Derpy said cheerfully. "I brought you breakfast in bed!"

Still a bit sleepy, Nabiki rubbed her eyes. "For… for me?" she muttered.

Derpy nodded. "Yep. Fresh from the oven. Miss Kasumi let me use her kitchen in exchange for telling her how to make them. It's my personal recipe!" She smiled. "You were all so nice to me and let me stay here until my wings are grown back and we find a way back through the portal… I just had to do something for you in return."

"That is…" Nabiki was at a loss for words for a moment. She didn't know what surprised her most… the fact that Derpy was able to use an oven without causing a catastrophe, or that someone besides Kasumi was nice enough to bring her breakfast. The unicorn felt something… something within her that she thought had been buried underneath thick layers of coldness, ruthlessness and monetary efficiency. She felt honestly moved by the little pegasus' gift. "That is… very nice of you, Derpy. Thank you."

She was actually glad there was no one else around to hear her. Her first honest thanks in months, or was it years? It was weird and yet it felt… nice.

Derpy simply beamed at her. "You are welcome. Now, are you going to try one? Here, take a blueberry muffin, those are the best. Although I also like the lemon surprise. Do you know there was once a shortage of lemon surprise muffins at Sugarcube Corners and I went on an angry rampage throughout Ponyville?"

Nabiki chuckled to herself and listened to Derpy's flood of words while trying one of the blueberry muffins. It was really, really good.

Nabiki was also intrigued by Derpy's stories about her hometown. She had never met another intelligent pony in her entire life… and suddenly, she learned about this whole new world that was filled with creatures just like her. She felt a certain… kinship towards the walleyes pegasus because of that.

"You wanna join me on my morning walk?" she asked Derpy after she was finished with her muffins.

"I'd love to, but Miss Kasumi offered to teach me some Japanese recipes," Derpy said. "Also, I'd like to get a bit better in the kitchen so I can cook for my little Dinky back home. I just hope Miss Kasumi isn't too impatient… I can be a little clumsy at times." She sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

Nabiki smiled. "You won't have to worry about that. Kasumi has the patience of a saint when it comes to teaching cooking. You should see her when she tries to teach something to Akane… Well, I hope you have fun."

After having breakfast and getting ready in the bathroom, Nabiki went into the dojo, where her father and Genma were instructing their new students. She decided to stay for a moment, watching from a corner as the two fathers gave instructions to the two individuals standing in front of them.

The first one was a small catgirl with light green fur wearing shorts, a leather vest and a red scarf around her neck. Her name was Carol Tea. The second one was a tall, pretty handsome, middle-aged man wearing a full set of medieval armor. His name was Frederick.

Soun stood in front of them. "Welcome to the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts," he said in a stern voice, showing Nabiki that her dad could be authoritative if he wanted to. "My name is Soun Tendo, and this is my friend, Genma Saotome. We are your fighting instructors. I hope you are prepared to train hard and learn the ways of Anything Goes."

"Oh yeah, I can't wait!" Carol said with a grin and fist-pumped. "Let's do this!"

"Indeed, I am prepared as well to acquire a new way of fighting, mylords," Frederick said with a respectful bow of his head.

Soun and Genma exchanged a quick, confused glance. "Um… please don't call us 'mylords'," Soun said "The proper term would be 'sensei'. Now then… has anyone among you any sort of experience in unarmed combat?"

"You bet I have," Carol nodded. "I've learned some awesome kicking moves when I was a member of the Red Scarves, together with my best bud Lilac. But most of the time, I like to use my claws. Oh, and I also know some sick fighting moves on my motorcycle."

"As a knight, I have learned almost any kind of combat, and I also know how to defend myself with my fists, if the need arises," Frederick explained. "But the weapons I am most comfortable with are swords, axes and lances. Also, I excel at fighting on horseback."

Genma sighed. "So neither of you knows anything about true martial arts. Very well… I guess we'll have to start from the bottom and work our way up."

"Hey dad," Nabiki then said. "Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to let you know I'm going out for a while."

As soon as he heard her voice, Frederick instantly turned to face Nabiki and gave her a courteous bow. "A good day to you, Lady Tendo."

Both Nabiki and Carol looked at him with irritation. "You, um… don't have to do that," Nabiki said. "And please call me Nabiki."

"Yeah, dude," Carol agreed. "Don't be so stiff all the time. Lighten up a bit."

"But she is the daughter of my host and new fighting instructor," Frederick insisted. "Not showing her the proper respect would be impolite and unbecoming of a knight."

However, Soun was mostly irritated by his own daughter. "You're going out… and decided to inform me about it?" he asked. "That's new… usually, you just leave and come whenever you feel like it."

"Well yeah, I just felt like informing you," Nabiki said with a small frown. "That's all. Now… have a nice spar and everything, I'm out." She turned around and left.

Genma stepped next to Soun. "That is new for her," he agreed. "Do you really think she's going to change for the better?"

"I sure hope so." Soun couldn't help but show a small, but proud smile. "Maybe it is the influence of the little grey pegasus, but maybe we were too quick to judge my little girl…"

"Being a father is a burdening task, my lord," Frederick said. "But in the end, it is definitely worth it. I speak from experience."

Soun sighed. "I suppose… but please don't call me that."

* * *

A few minutes later, Nabiki was walking through Nerima's shopping district. Several merchants had put up their carts on the street, so the little pony took a look at the wares they had to offer. Most of it was fresh food and adventuring supplies, but nothing that really caught her interest. She walked past a wandering minstrel who played a beautiful song on his accordion. Nabiki's first impulse was to walk past him… no reason to waste any money on street musicians, right?

Then she wondered what Derpy would do.

Eventually, she floated a coin towards the bird-like minstrel. He took it with his wing-hand and smiled gratefully as he continued to play.

As Nabiki continued on her way, she came along a completely new shop. It looked pretty ordinary from the outside, but the big wooden sign next to the entrance draw her interest.

'June's Class Change Emporium,' it read.

Curious, Nabiki entered the store. A little bell started ringing as she opened the door. Shelves filled with colored orbs aligned the left and right wall. Directly ahead was the counter, supervised by none other than June the dryad.

"Welcome to June's Class Change Emporium," she said with a smile. "My name is June, how can I help you?"

"You're the one who gave those orbs to Ranma and Akane, aren't you?" Nabiki frowned.

"Wrong," June said. "My friends Hiroshi and Daisuke were the ones that gave the orbs to them. I'm just the one who sells them."

"Is that so?" Nabiki took a look around. "A pretty clever business idea, I must say. In a community like ours, lots of adventurers might not be satisfied with their choices in life. And with the Kuno dungeon in the middle of town, you'll be certain to have lots of customers. Did you make all of these yourself? How are they made anyway?"

"Magic," June simply said. "And yes, make them all myself. And no, I can't tell you the procedure. Business secret, you know?"

"Of course I wouldn't expect you to simply tell me the secret," Nabiki smirked. "To be honest, I'm not really interested either."

"Oh?" June raised a green eyebrow. "Then why did you come in? Just out of curiosity? Or is there something you wish to be? Something you can't do but always wanted to do?" The dryad smiled like the cat that got the canary.

Nabiki grimaced. She didn't like it when people managed to read her like an open book. But it was true, she had been thinking about the class changing orbs for a while, ever since she knew about them from Ranma and Akane. And seeing Yuka use magic spells as easy as she did… it was more than enough to make the young unicorn jealous. Sure, she was able to cast some easy spells, but nothing outstanding. Only simple spells such as levitation or paralyzation.

Now, as she stood in the middle of June's shop, she was surrounded by countless orbs that were a big temptation… Orb of Wizard, Orb of Archmage, Orb of Warlock, Orb of Necromancer, Orb of Druid… so many different spellcasting classes. And Nabiki even had enough money, the prices weren't completely unaffordable.

But… did she really want to do it?

"Using an orb doesn't just give you the skills, right?" she asked. "You're exchanging your previous 'class' for the new one."

"That's right," June nodded. "But I can't really tell you what skills the orbs would take away from you. That is different for every orb and every person. The only thing I can assure you that some of your skills will be different."

What would her current class be, Nabiki wondered. High school student? Financier? Magic novice? Ice Queen of Furinkan? And more importantly… what skills would she lose?

It was a very big risk. One that Nabiki was not ready to take. Worst case scenario, she would lose all of her financial and manipulative capabilities… and weren't those the things that defined her as Nabiki Tendo?

"I won't deny that I was tempted to try out one of those orbs," she finally said. "But I decided against it. If I really want to learn more magic… I will have to learn it the long, hard way. Risk-free."

June chuckled. "Well, it's your decision. If you don't want to buy an orb, that's too bad. But how about a refreshing drink on the way?" She gestured towards a small rack filled with colorful bottles.

Before Nabiki could response, the door opened again. "Excuse me? Can you tell me the way to the Unryu pig farm?"

"Hello, Ryoga," Nabiki said, even before turning around to face him. And indeed, it was the eternally lost boy and rival of Ranma, Ryoga Hibiki.

"Nabiki?" The bandana-clad boy blinked in confusion. "What are you doing in a brothel?"

June's eyes twitched when she heard that. "This is NOT a brothel!" she snarled.

"Are you sure?" Ryoga wondered. "Your outfit looks like it…"

Before June could get really mad at Ryoga, Nabiki quickly explained: "This is a store in Nerima's shopping district. Did you get yourself lost again, Ryoga?" She shook her head. "Sometimes I feel really bad for Akari."

"It wasn't my fault," Ryoga protested. "I just stepped behind a tree to… take care of some business, and when I turned around, the Unryu farm was gone."

Nabiki chuckled and sighed. "Same old Ryoga. Well, are you going to stop by at our place to say hi?"

"This time, I'd rather not," Ryoga frowned. "I didn't really want to get lost in the first place… and Akari promised to make dinner. I really need to find my way back… somehow. And I can't let myself be distracted by Ranma again."

"It's just as well, we just finished repairing the dojo," Nabiki said. "All of Daisuke's hard work would have been for nothing if you two wrecked it again."

"Would you like to take a class change orb along on the way, stranger?" June asked with a smile. "We have a wide variety to offer, so I'm sure there's one here for you."

"Sorry, not really interested," Ryoga replied. "Although… all this wandering around I'm doing usually gets me pretty thirsty, and those drinks you have there look appetizing. Can I get a couple of those before I leave?"

June grinned, filled with satisfaction. "Most certainly, sir."

She helped Ryoga choose and pack a few of the essences, which he stuffed inside his backpack. After paying, he quickly left.

"Now, to find my way back to Akari," he muttered. "But which way was the Unryu pig farm again?"

* * *

He got lost several times on his way to find Akari's place. And every time, he had to ask for directions. Sometimes, he gave the helpful people one of the drinks he bought as thanks. He wasn't thirsty enough to drink something himself, at least not yet.

Ryoga was surprised himself, but in the evening, he finally managed to find his way back to the farm. Akari welcomed him with open arms.

"I was so worried," she said as she gave him a welcoming hug. "I knew I should have accompanied you when you went behind that tree."

Ryoga turned a bit red from her words. "Akari… there are certain things a man needs to take care of himself." He then smiled at her. "But I'm glad I'm back." He looked over to where Akari's prize sumo pig, Katsunishiki was lying. "Heya, buddy."

The sumo pig snorted in greeting.

Ryoga smirked and looked back at Akari. "I'm not too late for dinner, am I?"

"Of course not," she smiled. "Come on in, I've prepared a nice feast for the two of us. No pork, of course."

"And I even brought something refreshing to drink," he smirked as he pulled the last remaining bottle out of his backpack.

She looked at it curiously. "What is it? It looks so… green."

Ryoga shrugged. "Dunno. Some vegetable juice, maybe? We won't know until we try it, right?"

"I guess that's true," she said. They went inside the house and sat down at the table. Ryoga's stomach started rumbling when he saw all the tasty food, lots of rice and vegetables, together with a bit of fish. "Sure looks great."

"Thank you," Akari blushed. "Now please pour me some of that juice, my dear little piggy."

Ryoga suppressed his urge to flinch at her nickname. Even after a long time as Akari's boyfriend, he still wasn't quite used to the fact that she adored his cursed form, something he grew to loathe before meeting her.

'That Jusenkyo curse really messed up my life,' he thought to himself. 'I just hope Akari will never have to deal with a weird transformation such as mine.'

He poured some of the essence into Akari's glass, and some into his own. They crossed arms and clinked glasses, smiling at each other lovingly.

"To a lovely evening with the most charming boyfriend I could ever hope for," Akari smiled.

Ryoga smiled right back at her. "To a wonderful life where I never have to leave your side again."

And then, they both started drinking at the same time.

While the essence was pouring down their throats, their skin slowly began to turn as green as the liquid they were consuming. Their bodies started to grow taller and their arms and legs started to expand with muscle. Ryoga's small fangs grew longer than ever before, turning into prominent tusks that were visible even when he closed his mouth. At the same time, Akari grew her own set of smaller, much cuter tusks. Their ears grew a bit pointy, and their hair grew long and shaggy.

Their clothes transformed as well, turning into matching sets made of sturdy leather and fur, with bits of metal here and there. Akari got an impressive pauldron on her right shoulder, while Ryoga's bandana turned into a protective piece of headgear, which was just as yellow and spotted as the bandana was.

While this was happening, other things around them changed as well. Several pieces of farming equipment turned into dangerous-looking weapons, huge axes and spears with spiked blades at their end. In one corner of the room, a huge pile of wolf pelts appeared. And Katsunishiki himself grew even bigger and shaggier than before, while he grew a pair of tusks that were as big and dangerous as daggers.

The two orcs put the skull-shaped cups they were drinking out of down on the table with a pair of guttural grunts. "By the ancestors… that was refreshing," Ryoga grunted in a much deeper voice.

"I guess I can be thankful that my mate got lost and brought home such a tasty beverage for our feast," Akari spoke in a voice that was deeper than before, but could still be considered lovely.

"True, but now I want to see what my lovely mate has prepared to eat," the young orc grinned as he looked at the food. Piles of meat where everywhere on the table: Beef, roasted wolf, even some rabbit and deer meat. Still no pork though.

The orc couple grabbed whatever food was closest to them and started gnawing on it, no plates or cutlery needed. Their big, sharp teeth were more than enough to tear into the meat. And whatever they couldn't gnaw through, they washed down with some mead. If any onlooker would happen to be watching, they would believe this to be feeding time for a pack of hungry animals, not a romantic dinner for a couple of orcs in love.

But for Ryoga and Akari, nothing could be more romantic… well, almost.

After most of the food was devoured, and only a single haunch of beef was left lying in front of them, the two orcs stared at it intently.

"I saw it first!" Ryoga shouted and dove for it.

"No way, that last piece is mine!" Akari roared and tackled her boyfriend from the side.

"Hey, I'm the one who was running around all day, so I deserve it more," Ryoga argued as he tried to push his girlfriend away from the meat.

"But I'm the one who prepared the feast in the first place, so I deserve it more," Akari grunted. She pushed Ryoga down onto the table.

For a while, the two orcs wrestled as they each tried to get closer to their prize. Then they stared at each other.

"How 'bout a nice fighting match, sweetie? Winner gets the haunch," Ryoga suggested.

She grinned and gave him a kiss. "Nothing would be more romantic."

Ryoga armed himself with a pair of clawed gauntlets, while Akari grabbed a huge hunting spear. Together, they went outside, to a small fighting ring filled with mud. This was the training spot for the sumo pigs, but also for the young couple.

Ryoga and Akari raised their weapons above their heads and roared.

"Lok'thar ogar!" Ryoga shouted.

"Blood and thunder!" Akari yelled back.

And then, the traditional battle for the feast between young, mated orcs began.

Their love was even stronger after they were finished.

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _Derpy Hooves and My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _The Horned Reaper and Dungeon Keeper belong to Bullfrog Productions._

 _Freedom Planet belongs to GalaxyTrail._

 _Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo._


	12. Orb of Paladin

Hiroshi was sitting in class, listening to the dull lecture of Miss Hinako. Daisuke was sitting next to him, looking just as bored. To the two Vault Keepers, it was very annoying that they were unable to somehow use their position to skip school. After all, June didn't have to sit in class, so why did they have to?

'Hello, master!'

"GAH!" Hiroshi shouted out loud as he sat up straight in his chair.

Everyone in class was looking at him after his outburst. "Hiroshi-kun… is there something you wish to add?" Miss Hinako frowned. "If not, then please remain quiet until the end of class."

Hiroshi winced. He really didn't want to find out if Hinako-sensei still had her ability to absorb Ki in this new reality. After class resumed as normal, Daisuke leaned over to his friend and whispered: "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Hiroshi whispered back, nervously keeping an eye on their pint-sized teacher. "I just heard June's voice, out of nowhere. But she's nowhere near the school, right?"

'I don't have to be,' June's voice spoke up again, making Hiroshi jump. 'I have the ability to communicate with my current Vault Keeper telepathically, as long as we're in the same realm. And since I'm not in the Vault at the moment, but in Nerima…'

"So you're in your store at the moment?" Hiroshi whispered.

'Yes, I am,' June responded. 'And you don't have to reply by talking, you know. Just think of the answer and I can hear it.'

Hiroshi then concentrated and tried to talk to June with his mind. 'You mean like this?'

'Yes, just like that,' June said. 'Well done. Now, if you have a minute…'

'Can't this wait until after class?' Hiroshi asked. 'I don't want to get into trouble with Hinako-sensei…'

'I'll make it quick,' June said. 'You know, Nabiki just entered my store…'

'Oh, that's right, she doesn't have to go to school today,' Hiroshi realized. 'But what about it?'

'Well, I really can't sell her anything without your or Daisuke's permission, can I? That's why I contacted you, she's standing right in front of me.'

'Huh? But won't she get suspicious if you talk to me instead of you?'

'I am several hundred years old, Hiroshi,' June said. 'I've learned to multitask. Oh, never mind… she isn't interested in a class change anyway.'

Hiroshi groaned as quietly as he could. 'So you called me for nothing?'

'Hang on… there's another customer coming,' June then noticed. 'A young man with a backpack, an umbrella and a spotted bandana.'

That made Hiroshi pause for a moment. Of course he recognized June's description of Ryoga. But if he was at her store… did that mean they had another chance to give someone an orb or an essence? Ryoga did have a lot of problems and there probably were several ways of helping him. On the other hand…

'This is NOT a brothel!' June screeched.

'Uh… what?' Hiroshi asked in confusion.

'Oh, it's nothing…' June sighed. 'That guy just got on my nerves just now…'

'June… I just had a brilliant idea,' Hiroshi then told her. 'Sell him some essences!'

'What, more than one?' she asked.

Hiroshi nodded… then realized that she would be unable to see it. 'Yes,' he mentally added. 'Ryoga is infamous for getting lost… and he wanders around a lot. Giving him multiple bottles of essence at once gives us the chance to make more changes to people that live outside of Nerima.'

'I… see,' June said. 'If more people get changed by the essences, Nerima won't be the only place in your world where inhuman species live anymore. That way, transformed people won't be seen as outsiders as soon as they leave town.' Hiroshi could nearly hear her smile through their telepathic connection. 'Very well done, Vault Keeper. I'll be sure to help him choose a couple of nice examples.'

Hiroshi smiled with satisfaction. Daisuke looked at him in confusion. "Dude, what the heck just happened? You were staring into empty space for a moment… did you blank out?"

"No, no, I just had a nice conversation with June," Hiroshi smiled. "And it looks like Ryoga is about to help us solve some of our problems."

"HIROSHI-KUN! No talking in class!" Miss Hinako shouted. "Don't make me take out my piece of yen!"

"Eep! Sorry, sensei! I'll be good!" Hiroshi squeaked.

* * *

Kasumi opened the fridge. "Oh my," she said. "I'm terribly sorry, Derpy-chan. But it looks like we are running out of supplies… I need to do some shopping before we can continue our cooking lesson."

"That's all right," Derpy said. "Can I help? You do need somepony to carry your bags for you, don't you?"

"Oh, that's so nice of you," Kasumi smiled. "But I need to get a lot of things from the store and you are such a small pony. I'm worried it might be too heavy for you."

"But I'm a mailpony back home," Derpy said. "I'm used to carrying lots of heavy things. I even carried an anvil once... and a piano... oh, never mind. I forgot I accidentally dropped those on Twilight's head."

"If I may be so bold, can I offer my assistance?" Frederick said as he stepped up next to them. "As a knight, I am used to carrying all kinds of things for my lord, not just weapons."

"Oh but Frederick-san," Kasumi protested. "What about your training with father and Uncle Saotome?"

"No need to worry, we are just finished for the day," Frederick appeased her. "And I cannot ignore a young maiden's plight, especially not after her father so graciously offered me lessons to widen my fighting repertoire. Please, let me carry your burdens, my lady." He gave her a courteous bow.

Kasumi blushed a bit. She wasn't used to this much courteousness from a man. Especially not one as helpful and humble and strong and good-looking… She shook her head. "Oh my! Well… I can't possibly say no to such an offer. Thank you so much, Frederick-san."

"Anytime, fair Lady Kasumi," he replied with a smile.

Kasumi's blush intensified even further as she forced herself to look away from Frederick's handsome features and towards Derpy. "Y… you can still come along if you want to, Derpy-chan."

The little pegasus smiled happily. "Yay!"

Some time later, Frederick and Derpy followed Kasumi from store to store as she bought all sorts of food supplies, both for her family's inn and their personal use. Over time, Frederick got loaded with more and more bags and boxes… and not once did the brave knight falter. Derpy did her best to help as well, carrying some of the supplies in a pair of saddle bags Kasumi bought just for her.

"I think we're almost done," Kasumi said. "Let's take one last stop at the bakery. It's not too much for you, is it, Frederick-san?"

"Not at all," he insisted, even though it was getting difficult for him to see where he walked, with all the piled up boxes obscuring his view. "A knight always carries the burdens of his lord or lady."

"That means I'm a knight now," Derpy grinned proudly.

"All right then, the bakery's right here, past Dr. Tofu's clinic…"

Just when they came past the clinic, the good doctor was closing it for the evening. He didn't see Kasumi or her tall companion at first, while locking the door. But then he turned around, saw Kasumi standing right in front of him… and his glasses fogged up right away. "Oh, K-k-k… kasumi-san… wh-what a nice surprise… what brings you here?"

"Good afternoon, Dr. Tofu," Kasumi smiled. "I'm just doing some shopping for the family. We were running out of food."

"Oh, r-really? B-but don't you need some help? Wait, I c-can help you…" He bent over and picked up Derpy from the ground. "Here, see? These supplies are way to heavy for you."

"Wait, I'm supplies now?" Derpy wondered. "Can you be supplies and a knight at once?"

"Dear sir," Frederick said as he stepped in front of the oblivious doctor. "Please put the flying steed back to the ground. As you should see, the lady already has someone to carry her burdens. Your assistance is not required."

Dr. Tofu blinked as he looked up at the armor-clad man who rose up above him. For once, he started to see clear in Kasumi's presence. "W-wait… who are you?"

"I am Frederick, knight of Ylisse, retainer of Prince Chrom of Ylisse, second-in-command of the Sheperds and currently student of the Tendo-Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts," Frederick introduced himself. "May I know your name?"

"I… am Tofu. Dr. Ono Tofu. Practitioner of chiropractic, acupuncture and moxibustion."

Frederick nodded. "Well met. But as you can see, the situation is under control and the lady is not in need of medical assistance. So, we shall be on our way." And he walked right past the doctor, with his bags and boxes in hand.

Tofu was so baffled that he put Derpy back on the ground without thinking about it. "Wait… Kasumi, how do you know this… man…?" He looked back at her face and his glasses fogged up instantly.

"I'm sorry we can't stay to talk, we need to hurry before the bakery closes," Kasumi said apologetically. "But you know you're always welcome for a visit, doctor. Have a nice day." She hurried after Frederick, followed by Derpy.

"Say, Kasumi…" Derpy asked as she ran after her. "What's a steed? Can a steed be a knight? Or supplies? I'm really not sure here…"

"W-w-wait… Kasumi!" Ono shouted… right before he ran into a street sign.

He stumbled back with a groan and rubbed his head. "Why, Kasumi…?" he sighed. "Why this man… and not me? Why this big, tall, strong, handsome knight… and not me…?"

* * *

After school, Hiroshi and Daisuke met up with Sayuri and Yuka and went on their way to visit June's new store.

While they were walking, Hiroshi told the others of his conversation with June.

"What?" Sayuri gasped. "You're saying you wanna use Ryoga-kun to spread the transformations on a wider scale than just Nerima?"

"That's right," Hiroshi nodded. "If those fantastic creatures are spread out all over Japan, they're not so fantastic anymore and people are less likely to attack them in fright. Or even call in the police or military."

"I actually never thought of that," Daisuke admitted. "Goblins, dwarves and elves would not know how to defend themselves against conventional firearms and other modern weaponry."

"And what about magic?" Yuka pointed out. "Potentially, magic spells could be even more dangerous than any gun. And what about creatures that have dangerous abilities naturally? A human cop or soldier couldn't defend himself against the petrifying gaze of a gorgon like the one Miyo turned into. And don't get me started with werewolves, vampires, gargoyles…"

"Listen, there have always been dangerous things and creatures in this world even before we changed everything," Hiroshi argued. "Just remember all the crazy stuff Ranma told us from his adventures and all the powerful enemies he faced. This really isn't all that different. I just want our hometown to fit more within the world."

"He's got a point," Daisuke agreed. "We're the ones who started the changes… it's too late to back off now. Instead, we should make sure that the people we know and care about aren't getting into any more danger than necessary."

"Yeah, good thinking," Hiroshi nodded. "Any idea how we can do that?"

"How about you start giving away orbs that don't give their owners incredible destructive powers for once," Sayuri suggested. "How about something that helps protecting the people?"

"Not a bad idea," Yuka said. "And we should give it to a person who doesn't really care about being stronger than others and instead just wants to help others. A kind and selfless person…"

By that point, they already reached June's store and went inside. When the door jingled, June looked towards the entrance with a smile and a wave, but the four teenagers saw that she was in the middle of dealing with a customer. So the four students just waited for a while.

"So let me get this straight," June then said to the man standing in front of her. "You need something to impress and protect the woman you love. To show her that you can be a strong man she can rely on. Is that correct, Dr. Tofu?"

"Yes, absolutely," the doctor nodded. Then he sighed. "I never managed to tell Kasumi my true feelings… I always let my nervousness turn me into a complete inattentive fool. And now she has this… knight in shining armor… I'm afraid I can't be the man she needs. I have all my doctoral knowledge and medical capabilities… but all of that flies our of the window as soon as I look into her beautiful face. If I'm not man enough to even look into her eyes… then what good are all my skills as a doctor?"

Hiroshi and Daisuke looked at each other. "A kind-hearted person who wants to protect someone he loves…" Hiroshi murmured.

"And he wants to be stronger to prove herself to her, not just to be stronger…" Daisuke whispered back. "Could this be the person we were thinking of?"

"I assure you that we can help you acquire new abilities and strengths, doctor," June assured him. "As long as you can pay and are willing to make the choice. But if you truly wish to buy one of our products, let me take a look at what could be of use to you. Please wait here for a moment..."

She walked over to the others. "So… you heard this man's problem, right?" she said in a quiet voice, so Tofu was unable to hear her. "What do you think, Vault Keepers? Is there an orb you wish to give to him?"

"Actually, there is," Hiroshi nodded with a smirk. "I know just the right thing."

* * *

Some time later, Dr. Tofu left the store with his purchase. He carefully held the golden glowing orb in his hands. For now, he decided not to use it immediately. The dryad who ran the store had advised him to wait with the final decision until the time was right. If he felt that another orb would be more fitting or if he didn't want to use one after all, he could give this one back for a refund.

"This might change my whole life," he muttered to himself. "But for Kasumi… it's a step I am willing to take."

On his way home, he came through a slightly darker side alley. Usually, he didn't have any sort of trouble coming through here. But today, luck was not on his side…

He stopped when he saw three dark shapes stepping out of the shadows. Two of them were a pair of snickering goblin thugs wearing hoods and holding sharp, curved daggers. The third one was a huge, muscular troll carrying a heavy wooden club over his shoulder.

"See? I knew people like to take this shortcut," one of the goblins snickered. "And this guy looks like he has to have some dough."

"You're right, Zee, this is much easier than working for the vampire bitch," the second goblin grinned. "All right pal, give us all your money… or else our buddy Thog is gonna bash you on the head."

The troll just grunted.

The doctor looked at the three creatures nervously. Usually, he could easily disarm people by quickly hitting the right pressure points and paralyze them. Those two goblins wouldn't be much of a problem either, but that troll… that was an entire different story. Ono didn't know a lot about the anatomy of trolls, so he couldn't tell if his pressure points were in the same spots. Also, would they even apply on a creature this big? His own chance would be running… or maybe using the orb.

"Hey, what's that you got there?" the goblin named Zee shouted. "Looks valuable… give it here!"

"I'm… afraid I cannot do that," Ono said as he looked into the orb. But before he could start reading the words that floated past… the troll hit him with his club, throwing him against the nearest wall and making him drop the orb.

The doctor sank to the ground with a groan while the orb started rolling back towards the street. "You big oaf, Thog!" Zee's other goblin companion complained. "See what you've done? Now the shiny thing is all the way over there."

Thog grunted apologetically.

"Never mind, I'll get it…" the goblin sighed.

"Oh my…" a gentle voice coming from the street spoke up. "What is happening here?"

Ono froze in horror when he realized that Kasumi and her two helpers was standing right where the orb had rolled to. And here he was, lying on the ground like a weak fool, unable to protect the woman he loved… "Ka… kasumi…" he groaned. "Run… save yourself…"

"Dr. Tofu?" Kasumi gasped. "Oh no!"

"Stand back, Lady Kasumi!" Frederick proclaimed as he stood in front of her, drawing his blade. "I shall not let those ruffians lay a single hand on you."

"Hey, who's that?" Zee wondered. "Hey Grak, let Thog handle this. That armored guy looks tough."

The troll let out a menacing grunt as he walked towards Frederick and Kasumi with powerful, booming footsteps and raised his club.

"Very well then, scoundrel… have at thee!" Frederick yelled as he attacked the troll.

Grak chuckled. "He's gonna be busy for a while. Hey, sweet cheeks… how about you and that winged donkey give me some of those heavy bags of yours?"

"Donkey?" Derpy wondered. "I… I'm not a donkey, I'm a steed… d-don't come any closer…" She stepped in front of Kasumi.

"Oh no, Derpy-chan… please, you'll get hurt, just fly away…" Kasumi pleaded.

"But my wings aren't completely healed yet," Derpy pointed out. "Besides, I can't just leave you with those meanies…"

Dr. Tofu felt nothing but dread. He gathered all his remaining strength to get up from the ground and save his beloved… but a sharp pain in his right leg made that pretty much impossible. The troll's club must have hit him harder than he thought. "No… Kasumi… please, I need… the orb…"

"Orb?" Kasumi picked the golden glowing artifact up from the ground. "You mean… this?"

"Just give it to me," Grak grinned menacingly. "Make this nice and easy and the grey mule won't be hurt. You wouldn't want her to get beat up by Thog like your other two friends, would you?"

A short cry of pain coming from Frederick as he fought the troll made Kasumi stare at the goblin in disbelief. "You… you horrible little creature… how can you say such things?"

She looked down at the orb in her hands and read the words. After a moment of silence, she nodded.

"I accept."

Suddenly, the whole back alley got bathed into a shining aura of golden light coming from the orb… and then from Kasumi herself.

"What the hell?" Zee grunted as he shielded his eyes. "Hey Grak, what's she doing?"

"I dunno… but I have the feeling I won't like the answer," Grak gulped.

As the brightness of the light diminished a bit, they all saw Kasumi stepping in front of the goblins. But instead of the demure, polite waitress and housewife, she looked like a confident and strong protector of the weak. She was clad in a shining suit of armor that, while emphasizing her feminine figure, protectively surrounded her whole body, apart from her head. And unlike Frederick's more traditional, simple-looking armor, hers was adorned with traces of gold and silver. She also carried a gorgeous shield with a beautiful flower on it as an emblem, and a sword, which seemed to give the impression that it was mainly used to parry attacks, not actually harm an opponent. All of this equipment looked like it would be way too heavy to be carried by someone of Kasumi's petite stature. But underneath her suit of armor, Kasumi's body had developed into the powerful physique of a fighter, strong enough to carry everything with ease.

And while she certainly wasn't an aggressive warrior or amazon, she certainly wasn't a pacifist anymore. She was a fighter of justice and peace, a stalwart protector of those she loved.

In short, Kasumi had become the epitome of a true paladin.

"Wh-what?" Grak stuttered. "What happened to her? Hey, lady… you better watch it, or else…"

"Quiet!" Kasumi spoke with a commanding voice. "You shall no longer threaten the ones I care about. This pegasus and the doctor you injured… are under my protection."

Dr. Tofu stared at her, not being able to believe his own eyes. "Ka… Kasumi?" For a moment, he couldn't help but wanting to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. He was the one who wanted to protect her… and now she was the one who protected him and everyone else she loved. She certainly did not need any sort of protector anymore.

Thog the troll let out a grunt of pain, as Frederick managed to gain the upper hand in battle and push him back. "Leave this place, you fiends," he said. "Or else you shall suffer my wrath."

"Zee? He actually beat Thog…" Grak said. "What do we do?"

"R… run, Grak! You too, Thog! Ruuunnn!"

The three hoodlums turned around and ran as fast as their feet could carry them.

As they vanished around the corner, Kasumi lowered her weapons with a sigh. "Oh dear…" she said. "I'm actually glad I didn't have to fight them, but… I just couldn't let those horrible creatures hurt any of you anymore."

"A true knight only fights when he has no other choice," Frederick said. "But I must say I am very surprised about your sudden… change, my lady. Even though you do look fetching in this suit of armor."

Kasumi blushed a bit, then got pulled back to reality by Derpy's worried voice. "Miss Kasumi? Your friend here… I think he's hurt really bad. Should we bring him to the doctor? Um… another doctor, I mean?"

"It's… it's all right… it's not so bad…" Ono muttered, then winced when he tried again to stand up. "Okay, I take it back… it's pretty bad."

"Oh dear Ono," Kasumi said as she knelt down next to him. Ono felt a bit intimidated by her new, powerful presence. "Let me see if I can't actually help you. I believe… there are some new skills I gained that should be helpful."

She put down her shield and raised her right hand. The doctor watched in awe as it was surrounded by a golden glow of light. The very same light then entered his body… and made all the pain he felt fade away.

Kasumi smiled. "There… your leg should be healed now. Be blessed by the warmth of the Light, my dearest Ono."

He sighed. "Oh, Kasumi… I'm such a fool. I bought this orb because I felt I had to do this for you. I thought you wanted a strong, powerful man in your life… a knight who can protect you. But now you're the one who saved me from harm… isn't this ironic?"

"I really don't think only the man should protect the woman," Kasumi said. "If two people care for each other… shouldn't they both try to help each other through life and lesser the others' burdens? I know there's tradition and everything… but in this case, I really don't mind acting a little more… untraditional."

"Indeed," Frederick agreed. "In my home kingdom, both men and women fight together to serve king and country, and to protect each other from harm. Putting other people's safety above everything else… that is what being a true knight is about." He smiled. "And I believe both of you have what it takes to be true knights. Even though only one of you is wearing armor at the moment."

"Yeah!" Derpy added, because she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Ono grinned sheepishly. "I really didn't have to be jealous after all, right? I should have thought this through a bit more…"

"Everything worked out fine in the end," Kasumi said. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah," Derpy said again. "Also, your glasses don't fog up anymore like they did when we met before."

Ono blinked in surprise. "They… they don't?"

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _Derpy Hooves and My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _The Horned Reaper and Dungeon Keeper belong to Bullfrog Productions._

 _Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo._


	13. Essence of Goron

Daisuke and Hiroshi could only stare in disbelief as Miss Hinako introduced the green-haired girl standing next to her, wearing a female Furinkan student uniform.

Miss Hinako cleared her throat. "Everyone, we have a new exchange student. She will be attending our class for the next year. As you can see, she is a dryad, but please make her feel welcome just as if she wasn't a non-human."

"Hello everyone," June said with a smile and even bowed like a proper Japanese student would. "My name is June. I hope we all get along with each other."

"Very good," Miss Hinako said. "Now, there's an empty seat right next to Daisuke-kun. Please sit down so we can begin."

"Yes, sensei," June nodded and walked to the back of the class.

Daisuke and Hiroshi couldn't stop staring in disbelief. "June… what…?" Daisuke stuttered. "Just WHAT are you doing?"

June raised a finger to her lips as she sat down. "Shush now, we can talk later. Classes are about to start."

"Thank you, June," Hinako smiled. "I can see you're going to be a good influence on Daisuke-kun. Now, everyone open your books on page 24…"

* * *

After class, the three of them had a chance to talk. "I'm sure you guys are wondering what I'm doing here," June said in an amused manner.

"Yeah, no kidding," Daisuke grumbled. "You aren't even close to our age, so why the heck are you attending our school?"

"We dryads are ageless creatures," June said. "No one can really tell how old I am. And it's the perfect alibi for hanging out with you without having to use telepathy all the time, isn't it?"

"That is true," Hiroshi agreed. "Last time we did that, I nearly got in trouble with Miss Hinako. But won't you stand out?"

"Why would you say that?" she wondered. "I even decided to wear normal human clothing for once."

"Huh? Why wouldn't you wear normal clothing?"

Daisuke and Hiroshi nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard another voice directly behind them. They quickly turned around. "Oh, Ranma… it's you," Daisuke said nervously. "Um… how much of our conversation did you hear?"

"Not a lot of it," the pig-tailed boy shrugged. "I just came over to say hi." He grinned towards June. "Good to see you again."

She smiled. "Likewise, Saotome-san."

"So…" Ranma lazily put his hands behind his head. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, not much…" Daisuke said. "Just that, um… June will probably stand out… because she's the only dryad at school."

"So what?" Ranma shrugged. "She still looks pretty much like a human. And she's not the only non-human at school, after all. There's Akiko, Ukyo, Nabiki…"

"Oh, you're right," Hiroshi nodded. "And Miyo, too."

Ranma was surprised. "What? Miyo's still coming to school?" He looked over to where the fortune teller was sitting, together with Gosunkugi. "And she's still a gorgon? I thought she'd figure out a way to turn back by now."

June took a closer look at the two warlocks. They were wearing their hoods over their school uniforms, and Miyo's snake hair was clearly visible underneath. She could also see that she was wearing a pair of glasses that looked like they were made out of amber or something similar.

"Looks like she decided to stay like this," June said. "And she even managed to acquire a pair of enchanted glasses to shield others from her petrifying gaze."

"Such a thing exists?" Ranma asked. "I didn't know that. But I'm really not very good at all this magical stuff anyway." He turned around to face June. "Hey, I was thinking… maybe you and I could have another spar?" He grinned. "That fight we had the other day really was awesome."

"I'll think about it, Saotome-san," June said. "But if we do that, we probably shouldn't go all out, or else we'd end up causing too much destruction." She smirked and twirled around her dirt rod. "And I probably don't wanna use this little thing either."

"Ha ha, I guess that's true," Ranma chuckled. "But please, just call me Ranma. All of my friends do."

The dryad smiled. "Very well, Ranma."

"So, um… speaking of destruction, I just wanted to warn you: Classes here at Furinkan aren't too bad, most of the time… but then there are some days when some crazy stuff just starts happening."

"Crazy stuff? What kind of stuff?" June asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual…" Daisuke made a vague hand motion. "People breaking through walls, chasing after their fiancees or wannabe-fiancees, martial artists starting fights, Miss Hinako draining your power…"

A sudden pink blur came zooming past them, faster than a magic missile. June felt someone snatching the dirt rod from her fingers and a high-pitched voice shouted: "Jerome!"

Ranma facepalmed with a groan. "Ooooor THAT could happen…"

June blinked. "Who… or what was that?" She stared down at her empty hands. "My dirt rod… who took my dirt rod?"

"Ranchan!" Ukyo came running on all fours, panting as she came to a stop next to the group. "Did you realize who just came past here?"

"Of course, I'd recognize Azusa Shiratori anywhere," Ranma grumbled.

"Yes, but she also got her hands on P-chan… I mean, Ryoga again," Ukyo said.

"Huh, I thought I heard something that vaguely sounded like 'bwee'." Ranma groaned. "How did that green knucklehead let himself get caught by her again?"

"I dunno, but it was definitely him," the worgen girl said. "I'd recognize that smell of bacon anywhere."

"Can anyone please tell me what's going on?" June said. "Who is this Azusa and why would she think that stealing a powerful magical artifact from a dryad would be a wise thing to do?"

"I don't think Azusa and the word 'wise' should be mentioned in the same sentence," Ukyo sighed. "She's a kleptomaniac who runs around stealing anything she finds cute, to add it to her collection. And whatever it is she stole from you, she has probably already given it a French nickname by now."

"But wait a minute…" Ranma realized. "If Ryoga's here… and Azusa has kidnapped him… that would mean…"

All of a sudden, Azusa came running back the opposite direction. This time, they all could see the little black piglet she was clutching to her bosom, together with June's rod and several other objects. Following her like a roaring beast was a female, green orc riding high atop a huge, rampaging boar. "Get back here and fight like a woman!" Akari yelled. "And give me back my Ryo-chan!"

"This is my Charlotte and she'll be mine forever and ever!" Azusa shouted back.

"Over my dead body!" Akari shouted as she spurred Katsunishiki. The giant boar let out a deafening squeal as he stormed through the corridors of the school, knocking down desks, breaking down doors and throwing any student aside that was unlucky enough to stand in his way. Fortunately, this was Furinkan, and most of the students were used to violent abuse in some way… the best example being the male students Akane used to beat up every morning coming to school.

"Should we even intervene?" Ranma asked. "Ryoga looks like he's doing okay, and Akari almost caught up to them anyway."

"You wanna risk endangering the whole school?" Ukyo asked. "By the time that happens, half of the classrooms will be wrecked! I'll try and reason with Akari, you stop that skating maniac."

"All right, fine," Ranma sighed, and the two martial artists ran off.

Daisuke and Hiroshi looked at each other. "Should we try and do something as well?" Hiroshi asked.

"I don't know, I really don't want to risk getting trampled…" Daisuke said.

"You idiots, of course we're gonna do something!" June shouted. "That thief has my dirt rod, and I will make her rue the day she stole from a dryad!" The green-haired girl clenched her fists and growled angrily. Then, she took off her backpack and opened it. "Come on, you two. I've brought along some essences and orbs… but I can't use them without the Vault Keeper's permission. What do you think would help most in this situation?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Ukyo had managed to almost catch up with Akari and Katsunishiki. "Hey!" she shouted while running alongside the giant boar. "What do you think you're doing? You're destroying everything!"

"I don't care!" Akari shot back. "I'm not stopping until that puny little pinkskin drops my darling Ryoga! I'll crack her flimsy little skull with my bare fists, I'll nail her innards to the ceiling, I'll…"

It was a good thing the essence that changed Akari also changed everyone's perception of her, or else Ukyo wouldn't have recognized the sweet, kindhearted pig farmer underneath the aggressive behavior of the raging orc woman she has become. But even though she knows that Akari only acts like this because of her love and worry for Ryoga, she still could not let her continue on like this.

"If you won't listen to reason, I'll have to pin you down until you've calmed down," Ukyo snarled as she leapt onto Katsunishiki's back. The giant boar squealed as he felt the worgen's sharp claws, but he stubbornly kept running ahead as his mistress commanded.

Ukyo wrapped her arms around Akari's upper body. "Come on, stop this pig before someone's getting hurt."

"Get your hairy arms off me or I'll skin you like the mangy wolf you are!" Akari growled and struggled against Ukyo's grip. The two bestial women wrestled with each other, while the giant boar kept storming ahead.

* * *

"Dangit, I lost her," Ranma muttered as he ran through the different corridors and classrooms of Furinkan High. He could easily see where Azusa and Akari came through, either by the destruction or the missing objects the kleptomaniac figure skater took. He ran outside to the school's sports field and noticed right away that one of the basketball hoops was missing. "How much can that girl carry around at once?" he sweatdropped.

Just then, he heard soft sobbing. It was coming from one of the small sheds next to the field, where some of the school's sports equipment was stored. He carefully approached the closed door and knocked. "Hello? Anybody in there?"

"G-go away…" a female voice sniffled.

"I recognize that voice…" Ranma muttered and slowly opened the door.

"GAH!" The figure crouching on the floor raised her arms in front of her face. "Close it, close it! The sun… the sun burns!"

Ranma quickly stepped inside the cramped little shed and closed the door behind him. In the darkness, he could barely make out the girl's face. "Tatewakiko? What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"R… ranma-darling?" she vampire princess sniffled. "Is that you? Oh, my beloved… it was so terrible… waaaaah!" Tears gushed forth from her eyes as she clung to the pig-tailed martial artist. Ranma felt a bit uneasy, but he patted her head softly, making sure she would not be able to reach his neck with her fangs.

"Um… there, there. Everything's going to be fine. What's the matter?"

"She… she stole my parasol," Akiko whimpered. "The parasol I always need to get outside when it's daytime. That menace on rollerblades… she took it from me." She sniffled again. "Of course, I could easily defeat her. I am, after all, the bluebell of Furinkan High, Tatewakiko Kuno! But… she caught me off-guard… and without my parasol… I really can't do anything. Without it, I can't come to school… I can't even step out of the shadow without being hurt. The sunlight hurts so much, darling…"

"All right… there must be something here we can use to get you to safety," Ranma said, looking around. "There… one of those old sport mattresses should be enough. I'll hold it over your head while you go somewhere safer. Is that okay?"

"Oh, my beloved Ranma!" The young vampiress gazed up into Ranma's face with sparkling eyes full of gratitude. "You are my hero! My knight in shining armor! My…"

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get on with it," Ranma sighed. He knew Akiko would see this as an even bigger reason to pester him with adoration… but if there's anything he was unwilling to do, it's leaving a young girl in distress. No matter if she was a human or vampire.

* * *

"This one? Are you certain?" Hiroshi asked.

Daisuke nodded as he picked up the bottle with the brown essence within. "Definitely! She's a nuisance because she's so fast on those rollerblades of hers, always zipping around and taking everyone's stuff. So, if we can ensure she's a lot slower and heavier, she won't be such a big menace for Nerima anymore."

"And we'll be doing our town another great favor," Hiroshi smiled. "Good thinking, Dai." They bumped their fists. "Still… there's one problem."

"Huh?" Daisuke asked. "What's that?"

"How are we even going to get close to her to give her the essence?" Hiroshi wanted to know. "We're not even close to her speed."

Daisuke smirked. "Once again, you underestimate me, Hiro… me and the power of science! Behold, my latest invention!" He reached into his bag and pulled out a small contraption. "The GRAPPLING HOOK!"

For a moment, there was silence.

"Um, dude?" Hiroshi spoke up. "You didn't invent the grappling hook. That's something that already exists."

"Do you have to rain on my parade like that?" Daisuke sighed. "I know it exists, I just wanted to sound cool. Besides… there's one special thing about this grappling hook that other grappling hooks don't have."

"And that is…?" Hiroshi asked.

Daisuke pulled another one out of his bag, looking exactly like the first one. "You can fire TWO at the same time!"

Hiroshi facepalmed.

"Are you two done fooling around?" June asked as she approached them. "I know where the skating girl is… and it's in the exact opposite direction to where Ranma ran. Which means, we're going to do this ourselves."

"How do you know that?" Daisuke asked. "Did you put a tracking device on her or something?"

"Dai, this isn't James Bond…" Hiroshi muttered.

The uniformed dryad smiled. "Close. The Dirt Rod is a powerful ancient dryad artifact, so naturally, every dryad can feel its presence. As long as she has it, I know where she is. Now get those little tools of yours and the essence ready… we've got ourselves a rollerblader to catch!"

Not too long after that, the trio found Azusa in the school library. The place was a mess, books were strewn all over the floor. Azusa was standing in front of one of the shelves, thumbing through several books and then carelessly tossing them behind. She managed to do that despite holding onto a huge pile of stolen goods, including a battered-looking P-chan who still struggled against her iron grip. Ryoga despised his cursed form more than ever, now that it was even smaller and weaker than his natural orc form.

"Just hold still for a bit longer, little Charlotte," Azusa giggled. "Once we're at home, I'll show you this ADORABLE little pink bow that will make you look all pretty."

The mighty orc trapped inside the body of a small piglet wished nothing more than to pound Azusa's brainless little head into the ground.

"We could just get some hot water and toss it over them," Hiroshi whispered as the looked around the corner. "Then we can leave everything to Ryoga."

"Until he gets splashed with cold water again," June whispered back. "Besides, didn't your plan involve freeing Nerima from the Azusa menace once and for all?"

"She's right," Daisuke nodded. "So, gentlemen… get your weapons ready." He raised his grappling hook with a grin.

"Dai, you're acting weird again," Hiroshi muttered. "I'm going to let Sayuri-chan have another talk with you. Besides, I'm the only one with another grappling hook, so why the plural?"

Daisuke waved his objections aside. "Details, details. A true scientist doesn't let himself be distracted by that. Now, my friend, ready your tool… aim… and fire!"

"W-wait, what?" Hiroshi stuttered. "Just give me a sec, I'm not ready yet…"

But Daisuke wasn't willing to wait. He stood up straight, aimed his device at the kleptomaniac and pressed a button. The big hook at the front of the device flew at her, dragging a long chain behind. The chain wrapped itself around Azusa's upper body, including everything she was holding.

"BWEEEE!" P-chan let out a strangled squeal as the air was pressed even further out of his lungs.

"Ah! You can't do that to little Azusa!" The figure skater struggled against the iron chains, which curiously managed to wrap themselves exactly around the curves of her supple chest. "You big meanie… I'll just take this with me, too." She took off abruptly, skating along the bookshelves… and pulling Daisuke off his feet as he was dragged behind her.

"Aaaaaaaaah!" the hapless inventor screamed as he was pulled through piles of book. He spit out a bit of paper. "Hiiiroooo… why didn't you fire the goddamned hook?"

"I told you I wasn't ready!" Hiroshi shouted. He raised his own grappling hook and took aim, but the fast skater was already out of reach. "I'll have her in a moment, just hold on."

"What does it look like I'm doooooing?" Daisuke screeched as he was pulled around a corner. He hit a big shelf that was still filled with several heavy books… which promptly all fell down on his head. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Hiroshi started running, trying to intercept Azusa on the other side of the library. When he saw her zipping past, he took aim again and fired.

Azusa gasped when the chain wrapped itself around her head, effectively gagging her and blocking her vision. "Mmmmmmph!" she mumbled around the chain gag. "Mmmmmmmph!"

"Now we got her!" Hiroshi pumped his fist… not noticing that Azusa hadn't really slowed down at all. She zoomed past him… and then he got yanked off his feet as she dragged him after her as well. "Not meeee toooooo!" he yelled.

"What the heck are you doing?" Daisuke shouted. "You were supposed to save me, not imitate me."

"It's not my fault your devices aren't working the way they are supposed to," Hiroshi shouted back. "What a load of junk!"

"Hey!" Daisuke yelled angrily. "You can insult an inventor, but never insult his babies… OW!" His head collided with the corner of a bookshelf, making him see stars. "Oooooh…" he groaned. "That's… my new inspiration…"

Suddenly, Azusa let out a short yelp as she stopped and fell to the ground, directly on top of everything she was holding. Hiroshi and Daisuke slid past her… and slammed directly into one of the empty bookshelves. Which was fortunate, because otherwise, every book would have probably fallen on their heads.

Hiroshi rubbed his head with a groan and stood up on shaky legs. "What… what happened?" he mumbled. He looked at Azusa… and saw that her legs were tightly bound with several vines that suddenly grew out of the library floor.

June casually strolled around the corner. "You guys are idiots, you know that? If you're trying to stop a rollerblader, then why don't you aim for her legs? You're very lucky I'm here to do your job for you."

"Wait… that was you?" Hiroshi asked. "Those vines?"

June rolled her eyes. "Duh! I'm a dryad, remember? That means I have control over plant life. The Dirt Rod is just an artifact I like to use. Speaking of which…" She stepped over several books, rolled the entangled Azusa on her back and with a yank, made all the loot she was holding fall on the ground. While Ryoga did his best impression of a bacon-flavored pancake, June picked up her Dirt Rod.

"That'll teach you not to mess with a dryad!" she spat, staring daggers at the kleptomaniac.

Azusa just struggled against the vines and chains, but to no avail.

Hiroshi helped his buddy to his feet. It took Daisuke some time to fully regain consciousness. "So… you still got the bottle?" Hiroshi then asked. "Please don't tell me it got cracked…"

"N-no, I still have it here," Daisuke muttered. "If only the room would stop spinning…"

Hiroshi took the bottle from his friend and knelt down next to Azusa.

"This isn't something we usually do," he said with a grim expression. "But you've been a complete menace for Nerima for some time now. And even though you don't seem to be the brightest bulb in the shed… your stupidity doesn't excuse your actions. Today, Furinkan nearly got wrecked because of you. So… consider this your punishment." He moved the chains covering her face out of the way, and before she could say anything, he opened the bottle and put it on her mouth, forcing her to swallow a bit of the essence.

Satisfied, Hiroshi stood back up and looked down at her. "You may not remember any of this after your change, but your days of zipping around Nerima on rollerblades are over!"

He closed the bottle, which was labeled 'Essence of Goron'.

Over the next few minutes, Hiroshi, Daisuke and June watched Azusa's transformation. Her body gained a lot of bulk and her skin turned rough like gravel. Her cute face stretched into a broad mouth filled with robust teeth that could chomp down on rocks. Her luscious hair completely disappeared and her womanly curves were replaced with a tubby tummy, stocky legs and muscular arms. The chains wrapped around her body started to crack under the weight of her stone-like body.

"I'd feel bad for her," Daisuke said. "Except that she won't remember a thing. So in her eyes, she's always been like this."

"Is she even a she anymore?" Hiroshi wondered. "That body doesn't look like a woman's body at all."

"Honestly, I can't say for sure," June shrugged. "Goron biology has always been a mystery for the scholars. Some say there entire race consists of males only. Others say that they don't even have a gender."

"N-n-no…" Azusa moaned weakly as she slowly stood up. "All my precious darlings… Charlotte… Jerome… Antoinette… I need to take you home." Her voice sounded exactly as it did before, high-pitched and bubbly.

"So she's still a kleptomaniac," Daisuke noticed. "But at least she won't be able to run away very fast with these." He pointed at her stubby legs and chuckled.

Azusa glared at him. "You big meanie! I'll show you I don't need any legs to get away from you…" She reached down to pick up the half-conscious P-chan and her other stolen goods… but then, a pair of muscular legs kicked her out of the way. With a squeak, Azusa rolled over the floor like a bowling ball and crashed into the empty bookshelf, which started wobbling, fell down on her head… and promptly broke in two.

"Get your rocky hands off my Ryo-chan!" Akari grunted as she pulled her leg back. She looked at the other girl who helped her kick the pilfering Goron out of the way with a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Hey, no problem," Ukyo replied with a toothy grin. "Just make sure not to rampage around school the next time you're trying to help your fiance."

Azusa pushed her way out of the pile of wood and books she was standing in. She started to sniffle and her lower lip was trembling. She pointed a stubby finger at the two boys, the dryad, the worgen and the orc. "Y-you… you're all just a bunch of meanies! I'll show you… I'll… I'll tell big bro about what you did! And then you'll be sorry!" She started running, as fast as her little legs could carry her, did a small hop… and then she rolled her whole body up into a round, boulder-like shape which she used to quickly roll out of the library.

Daisuke and Hiroshi stared after her.

"Did she just…?"

"I think she did…"

"And she wasn't slow… not at all!"

"I think she was even faster than before…"

They both turned to look at June.

She grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. "Oh, right… I forgot, that's something Gorons can do. That must have slipped my mind. Sooorryyy…"

* * *

At the skating rink, Mikado Sanzenin was practicing his ice skating skills, when suddenly, a big, round came rolling over the ice, coming directly at him, while a shrill voice shouted: "Biiig brooooooo!"

All of his skills as a skater were not enough to save Mikado from getting tackled by the rolling object, which unfurled into the crying form of his friend, Azusa Shiratori. She tacked him with a massive Goron hug… which felt more like an avalanche of rocks slamming into his body. As both of their bodies stumbled to the slick ice floor, Mikado saw nothing but stars for a moment.

"Ooooooooh… Azusa, look at what you've done!" the then started to rant. He pointed at the ice rink, where the young Goron had created a deep fissure in the ice. "You've completely ruined everything! Now I can't continue practicing. I hope you're happy…"

"But… but Mikado…" Azusa sniffled. "Big bro… they were sooo mean to me."

Mikado stood up with a groan. "What are you talking about? Who was mean?"

"The meanies from Furinkan!" Azusa screeched. "They pushed me around and wrapped me up in chains and used me like a soccer ball… go beat them up for me, big bro!"

"Please stop calling me that," Mikado said, shaking his head. "Let me guess: You stole a lot of things from their school, didn't you? Again…"

"No!" Azusa pouted. "Well, I took a couple of things… but those were the cute things that belonged only to Azusa!" She crossed her arms, trying to look as adorable as a Goron could.

Mikado sighed. "Listen, Azusa… we've been friends for a long time now. But I can't help you if you keep rolling around, stealing all the time. It's going to end with trouble for you… and for me, if you keep this up."

"But Mikaaadoooooo!" Azusa whined. "You have to help me. You're my friend, my big bro, and… we'll be partners some day, yes?" She looked at him with gleaming eyes. "One day, you'll teach me how to skate, will you?"

"Azusa, we went over this," Mikado said. "You can't be an ice skater. Your feet aren't the correct size to wear skates, your body is way too heavy… I mean, just take a look at what you did to the skating rink." He pointed at the fissure she created. "You are a Goron. And Gorons aren't meant to be ice skaters. Just… play soccer, or something like that. Or maybe that barbaric, American sport… what was it called again? Rugby?"

"Th… that was just an accident," Azusa cried. "Please, big bro… I can change, I promise! I won't wreck everything I touch… I just wanna be an ice skater sooo baaaad…" Tears started streaming down her rocky face. "It's my big dream… you and I, skating together on the ice… as the Golden Pair… it's going to be so beautiful…"

"I'm sorry, Azusa," Mikado said as he left the ice. "But that is something that is never going to happen."

Azusa curled up into a miserable ball of sorrow and cried her little eyes out.

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _Derpy Hooves and My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _Dungeon Keeper belongs to Bullfrog Productions._

 _Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo._


	14. Orb of Rogue

There was no real indication as to where the Kuno castle grounds end and where the rest of Nerima begins. The looming, terrifying building had no real gardens or surrounding parks to speak of, at least not on the outside. The famous rose garden lay within the castle walls.

Leading up to the castle's main gate was a mostly straight paved road, bypassing a number of gnarled, old trees. The gate itself was a massive hunk of iron which looked like it was impossible to move by human hands. A pair of armored suits was flanking the gate day and night. They were enchanted by dark magic, turning them from inanimate objects into magical constructs that obeyed only the will of their dark mistress. They didn't really have any sort of intelligence to speak of, but they reacted to every intruder approaching the gates, every living being that had no right to be within the castle.

Ranma had promised to take Akiko home, but he was careful enough not to step into the field of view of the two guard armors. He peeked out from behind one of the closest houses that surrounded the castle to see if the coast was clear. There weren't a lot of people living this close to the lair of the evil vampire queen, so most of the surrounding buildings were abandoned ruins.

"This should be close enough," he said to the small vampire girl crouching behind him. At the moment, they were standing in the shadow of the house, so Akiko was shielded from the rays of the sun. "I really don't wanna mess with those guys at the gate, I'm sure you'll manage to carry the mattress over your head during this final stretch." He took the sports mattress they took from Furinkan as a replacement for Akiko's parasol and gave it to her.

Akiko sniffled a bit, still playing the part of the helpless damsel in distress. "But Ranma-darling… this mattress is too heavy for a delicate flower like me. Please, be a gentleman and accompany me to the front gate. I can tell the guards not to harm you. Nothing will happen to you, I promise."

Ranma may be gullible, but he wasn't a fool. With a smirk, he patted the smaller girl's head and said: "Nice try, but I really don't want to stay for the night. Besides, don't these guards only answer to your sister?"

Akiko pouted. "I just want you to stay for dinner one time…"

"And bite my neck for dessert? Sorry, but I'm not falling for that twice in one week. I helped you get home, but that's it." He stretched his arms. "Well… see you tomorrow in school, Akiko." And he ran off.

Akiko crossed her arms in frustration. "I'll get you some day, my darling, just you wait…"

"Vampire girl will not!" an angry voice shouted.

Surprised, Akiko saw how Shampoo leapt down from one of the nearby, abandoned buildings with a scowl on her face. "Shampoo was on delivery and watch you go through town with Ranma. And Shampoo ready to save Ranma if vampire girl decided to get too bitey."

"Ah, it's the Chinese barbarian," Akiko said with a smirk. "Are you jealous that Ranma decided to accompany me home? All he does when seeing you is run away."

"Shampoo is not barbarian, is amazon!" the lavender-haired girl shouted. "And Shampoo is fed up with undead girls that want to suck my Ranma's blood." She took on a battle stance. "Shampoo teach you lesson!"

The vampiress giggled. "Oh, how adorable you are. Thinking you can challenge the power of a vampire noble… your primitive weapons don't even have the nessecary sharpness to harm a vampire."

"Thank you for tip," Shampoo replied with a smirk and leapt at her. Akiko cackled evilly and blocked her attack with her bare hands.

Shampoo started to sweat. She had planned to push Akiko out into the sunlight to weaken her, but she severely underestimated the strength of a vampire. The Chinese amazon was a formidable warrior, but she still was only human. She realized that she had to use some tricks to gain the upper hand.

"Hey, vampire girl. You like ramen?"

Akiko blinked in confusion. "Um, sometimes. Why?"

Shampoo grinned. "Because Shampoo has new Nekohanten ramen recipe with garlic broth… you enjoy meal now, vampire girl!" She pulled a steaming bowl of ramen out of her delivery box and threw it into Akiko's face.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" the vampire girl screeched as she frantically tried to wipe the sticky broth away. "Not this! Not GARLIC!"

She flailed around, nearly stumbling into the sunlight. Instead, she fell into a deep puddle of water that was nearby. A puddle which Shampoo, unfortunately, had not seen. "Oh no…" she muttered as was splashed with water, turning into a small cat with lavender fur.

Akiko quickly washed the ramen broth off her face and snarled at the kittyfied amazon. "I shall make you pay for this insolence… as soon as I tell my big sister!" In a puff of smoke, she transformed into a tiny bat… a bat which still had Akiko's hairstyle. Letting out an adorable squeak, the little bat flapped her wings as hard as she could, trying to get to the castle.

But the cat was faster than the bat. With a ferocious meow, Shampoo leapt into the air and pounced on the winged mammal. Akiko struggled against Shampoo's paw as she was pressed into the ground. She inwardly scolded herself for not realizing that a bat would be an easy prey for a cat, being really nothing more than a mouse with wings. Shampoo seemed to have realized this as well, as she looked down at the helpless Akiko like the cat who ate the… bat. She licked her lips and opened her mouth, revealing teeth that were nearly as sharp as those of a vampire.

But then, in a matter of seconds, the whole situation changed. Akiko transformed back into her normal form, grabbed the surprised cat with her hands and stared into her eyes. Shampoo tried to get away, to struggle against the vampire's grip, to scratch her with her claws… but she found herself unable to look away.

"Silly kitty," Akiko chuckled as she focussed all her willpower on the transformed amazon, overwhelming her mind. "As a vampire, I can easily manipulate your primitive, barbarian mind… and as an animal, controlling you has become even easier than before." She stood up from the ground. "Listen to my voice, Shampoo… you are my slave. You will obey only me. You will act like your normal self in every other situation… but you will listen to every order once you hear the following command: Shampoo, obey!"

She carefully put the cat back down on the ground. Shampoo was still unable to move, her mind was in a haze. Akiko reached into her delivery box and, with disgust, took out another bowl of ramen. She hurled it at Shampoo, who was turned back to normal by the hot ramen broth.

"I don't have any need for your services right now," Akiko smiled. "But as soon as I do, I will come for you, my new little servant." She hummed a happy little tune as she grabbed the mattress, held it up above her head and started walking towards the castle gates. But before reaching them, she turned back around and snapped her fingers.

Shampoo blinked in confusion as she tried to understand what was going on. She was back in her human form and Akiko was not around anymore… then she saw the little vampire going back to the castle.

"Shampoo not get you today, vampire girl," she angrily muttered. "But some day she will."

* * *

Hiroshi and Daisuke were hanging out in June's shop after school. They were sitting at a table close to the counter and contemplated their job as Vault Keepers. Meanwhile, June was busy dusting off some of the orbs. It was a quiet afternoon.

"Say, June…" Daisuke asked. "Now that we're all here, is the vault okay on its own? I mean… there's no one there to look after it at the moment. Shouldn't we go back there now and then?"

"How do we even get back there?" Hiroshi added. "Do we have to use the mirror? Or is there another way?"

"No worries," June told them. "I created a pathway that leads to the summoning chamber back in the vault. It's in the back of the shop, and only I know how to activate it. So I can go back anytime, without having to ask you two for the mirror."

"Well, that's good to know," Daisuke said. "I started several projects in the vault's crafting room, and I want to finish them at some point. And Yuka told me there are still a couple of books in the library she wanted to read."

"Where are the girls anyway?" June asked. "I haven't seen or heard anything from them ever since Nerima changed."

"I think they need some time to deal with the changes," Hiroshi explained. "Their parents all remember Nerima being like this and they don't. Yuka's parents are suddenly owners of a magic shop and Sayuri's father works at the local blacksmith. A few days off is just what they need."

"Fine, I'll give them one week," June sighed. "That should be enough."

"Hey, isn't this something we should decide?" Hiroshi frowned. "We are the Vault Keepers, aren't we?"

"Yes, but I am the head assistant," June asserted. "And they are junior assistants with no experience, so I'm their superior."

"Sure, whatever," Hiroshi shrugged. "I'm just glad not too many things changed back at my place. My parents are still the same as before. Our neighbor's a harpy, though, so there are always some feathers in front of our door. What about you, Dai? Your folks doing okay?"

"Um…" Daisuke was very interested in observing the wall next to him for some reason. "My parents are… they are fine."

"Hm, good to hear," Hiroshi said.

June carefully studied Daisuke's behavior. She could tell that he wasn't completely honest, but that didn't really bother her. As long as it didn't interfere with his duties as Vault Keeper, his family life was of no importance.

"So far you two are doing pretty good as Keepers," she said. "The last few decisions helped getting things under control in town. The outside world will get used to inhabitants from other dimensions, the Reaper threat is nullified, and that kleptomaniac hasn't stolen anything ever since we used the essence on her."

"She still could decide to start another robbing spree," Hiroshi pointed out. "After all, becoming a bipedal rock creature didn't really slow her down, like you said it would."

"So what? That's even better, isn't it?" June shrugged. "The less we change about her life, the better. As long as she doesn't cause any trouble. So, what are your next plans?"

"I really don't know yet," Hiroshi said. "I talked with Dai and he agreed that maybe we should just wait and see what happens, at least for a couple of days. And you've got your shop, so if anyone wants to buy an orb or a bottle, you can always inform us and ask."

"I just wish more people would actually come in and buy something," June sighed. "The gambling hall that opened next door is attracting all the customers. I need to have a word with this 'Gambling King' and make sure he doesn't steal all of my clients away."

Just then, the door opened. When hearing the jingle, June wanted to give her usual greeting. But when she looked towards the door, she saw the familiar form of a small unicorn pony standing there.

"Nabiki? What are you doing here?" June wondered. "Didn't you tell me you don't want to buy a class changing orb?"

"I did," Nabiki nodded as she trotted towards the counter. "And I really didn't want to buy one… at least not back then. But today is different."

Daisuke and Hiroshi looked at each other in confusion while June raised an eyebrow. "So… what you're saying is… you changed your mind?"

"All I'm saying is that I'm considering it," Nabiki said. "But first let me clarify something. When a class change orb is bought, the customer always has a period of time in which he can decide to bring it back for a full refund. Isn't that correct?"

June nodded. "Yes, that's correct. And the orbs themselves always give the user the chance to back off from the exchange. If you changed your mind or are dissatisfied because of some other reason, you can always bring it back here and get all your money back."

"Can I get that in black and white?" Nabiki further inquired.

"Sure, we have some contract forms to fill out, in case the customer isn't satisfied with just an oral agreement, " June explained.

Nabiki smiled. "Excellent. In this case, I wish to make a purchase."

"You want to buy an orb after all?" Hiroshi blurted out. "But which one? The Orb of Mage? I mean, Yuka noticed how jealous you looked when you saw her casting those spells."

"I really don't see Nabiki as the magic caster type, even though she's a unicorn," Daisuke spoke up. "Maybe she wants to be a merchant?"

"She already knows how to make business deals, she doesn't need an orb to do that," Hiroshi protested.

But Nabiki shook her head. "Nothing of the sort. I've thought about this for some time and I realized there's only one logical choice for me."

She pointed her hoof at a dark violet orb. "I want the Orb of Rogue."

* * *

"What's that, Nabiki?" Derpy asked.

She was lying on the floor of Nabiki's room, curiously staring into the swirling depths of the orb Nabiki had just brought home.

"This is the Orb of Rogue," said Nabiki, who was lying beside her pegasus friend. "I can use this to become a rogue."

"Really? Oh, you mean like in Ogres and Oubliettes?" Derpy smiled. "My Dinky played that once with her friends. She's playing a pegasus cleric called Dawnplume the Brave."

"This isn't a game, Derpy," Nabiki explained. "A rogue is a master of stealth who specializes in picking locks, disarming traps and backstabbing enemies."

"That doesn't sound very nice," Derpy pointed out. "But why do you want to be a rogue in the first place? Aren't you satisfied with what you can do right now?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not satisfied," Nabiki said with a frown. "I feel left behind by Ranma and my siblings… even Kasumi learned how to use a weapon now. And how often have I been kidnapped? Far too often for my taste! But you're right, I really don't want to lose my business skills. That's why I didn't want to buy a class change orb at first.

But then I realized: Do I even have to give up my financial skills? Did Kasumi lose her cooking skills when she became a paladin? No, she still is the best cook in the house, right after Auntie Nodoka. That means some skills are not counted as a class. Which makes sense, if you think about it. There have been a lot of adventurers coming through town that are, at the same time, also merchants or craftsmen. And there are other great examples. Ukyo, for instance, is a student, a martial artist and an okonomiyaki chef. So why can't I be a great businesswoman in addition to something else?

Of course, I wanted to play it safe. So when I returned to the orb shop, I decided on a class which is perfect for my natural cunningness, sniekiness and intelligence." Nabiki chuckled for a moment. "And it would be natural for rogues to be good with money, wouldn't you agree?"

"Umm, I don't know?" Derpy said. "Maybe?"

"There were other orbs I could have used," Nabiki continued on to explain. "An assassin concentrates on the battle skills of a rogue, notably his tendency to attack from the shadows. But an assassin is basically a mercenary, and I've always hated that nickname Shampoo gave me." She grimaced. "A thief focusses more on stealing money and items, which might be more fitting. But as I said, I want to be able to defend myself at least somewhat capably. So a rogue is the perfect compromise between fighting and money. What do you think?"

Derpy scratched her head. "I think… I don't really understand everything you've tried to tell me." She then smiled. "But I think the most important thing is, that you need to feel comfortable, no matter what you do and who you are. So if you feel this is something you want to do… then sure, go for it!"

"I'm planning on doing just that," Nabiki nodded. She picked up the orb with her magic and looked into the swirling colors, reading the lines that circled within.

"I accept," she told the orb.

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _Derpy Hooves and My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _Dungeon Keeper belongs to Bullfrog Productions._

 _Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo._


	15. Essence of Fairy

In the darkness of the night, a small, hooded, four-legged figure scurried through the night. The moon was bright, so she made sure to stay in the shadows. A group of people came walking by, on their way home from one of Nerima's several inns.

The unicorn rogue made sure to stay hidden while the chattering and laughing men walked past her. When the coast was clear, she ran along.

Nabiki was quickly getting used to her new skills and the gear that came with them. Acting sneaky and underhanded wasn't new to her, the practices were just different. There were a lot more physical activities involved, of course. She was glad the class change also gave her a new, fit and dexterous body. The leather outfit she wore was colored dark grey and blue, perfect for blending in with the shadows. The masked hood kept her face hidden, and wrapped around her body were several belts that held an assortment of pockets, pouches, knives and small vials.

Tonight, she was on a mission.

She reached a run-down storehouse at the edge of town, pretty far away from Kuno Castle's area of influence. This was not a very pleasant neighborhood, lots of shady bars and dealers for the local black market were around. This was something she knew already before becoming a rogue. She had never planned on going here in person, of course… not until now, that is.

She hid behind a pile of garbage and watched the warehouse carefully. She saw several dark figures carrying wooden boxes insides. In the moonlight, she could clearly see their huge ears and green skin… they were goblins.

"Hurry up with that!" one of them said in an unpleasant, screeching voice. "The boss wants this load out of town before that pale-skinned corpse lady's henchmen or any of the local do-gooders show up and ruin everything."

Nabiki waited for the right opportunity to follow them inside. But just when she wanted to run for it… she felt a hand on her shoulder. Nabiki spun around, using her unicorn telekinesis to draw her dagger.

"Whoa, sis, calm down! It's just me…" Akane said.

Nabiki groaned. "Akane… what are you doing here?" she whispered, praying to the gods of commerce and thievery that the goblins' huge ears were just for show.

"What am I doing here? What are YOU doing here?" Akane shot back, making sure to keep her voice down. She was in full ranger gear and stayed hidden behind the trash pile… and Nabiki had to admit, her stealth skills were almost as good as hers. Akane gestured towards the warehouse. "Do you know who those guys are? They are THIEVES! Kasumi already told me how she and Dr. Tofu had a run-in with them and…" She blinked. "Nabiki… WHAT on earth are you wearing?"

"What?" Nabiki snidely asked. "Am I the only sister not allowed to have a change of wardrobe? I'll explain everything when I get back, now go home already! You're putting my mission in jeopardy."

"Your mission?" Akane stared at her. "I don't believe this… Nabiki, I saw you sneaking out of the house and got worried. I didn't want to let you out of my sight, so there was no time to inform father or Kasumi. So I just grabbed my gear and followed you. And now you're in this horrible part of town… Sis, what is this about? I get that you bought an orb from June's store as well, but you're not doing this just to try out your new skills, right? I know you…"

"You're going to get both of us killed," Nabiki said through gritted teeth. "Okay, fine! If that what it takes to make you leave… I'm here on a mission for Cologne."

"Cologne?" Akane gasped. "You're telling me you're working for her? That little forest sprite is nothing but trouble."

"She's not a sprite, she's a Kokiri," Nabiki corrected her sister. "And I'm not saying she's my friend or anything. This is just business. Cologne noticed that several boxes of alchemy ingredients were stolen from the Nekohanten. She said that she's not the only one being robbed… several other stores in the area also reported stolen wares. The police isn't doing a damn thing about it, and to be honest, usually I don't care about such stuff. But she paid me a decent amount of money to sneak into their warehouse, find out what I can and maybe even take back some of the goods. Got it? Now if you'd hurry up and leave, I might be able to continue this without getting spotted…"

"I don't get you sometimes, Nabiki," Akane sighed. "You know, I was afraid you were going to do something criminal in that getup. But if you're honestly just trying to help Cologne and the merchants in town, you could have said so. I'm sure Kasumi and Ranma would have wanted to help. And now that I'm here, I'm not letting you do this on your own."

"What part of STEALTH mission don't you understand?" Nabiki almost hissed. "The more there are of us, the more likely we are to get caught."

"Maybe, but two people aren't that more than just one," Akane pointed out. "And I'm a ranger… sneaking up on my prey is what I do, so I know a thing or two about being stealthy. Now are we going to do this or not?"

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "You'll never change, sis."

"Nope… and neither will you," Akane smirked. "That's why I know you need my help."

* * *

The two sisters managed to sneak into the warehouse. Inside, huge piles of crates, boxes and stolen goods were everywhere, so staying hidden was an easy task. Each of the boxes was marked differently, each of them carrying the name of a known store or other place in Nerima. The big box they were crouching behind was signed with 'Ucchan's'.

'So they stole from Ukyo too?' Nabiki thought. 'She's not going to be happy about that. All the more reason to do this mission, though.'

A loud cackle coming from the middle of the room caught their attention. Akane gestured over to where a small group of goblins was gathered. One of them was opening a crate and lifted a small crossbow from it.

"Get a load of this, Grak," the spindly creature snickered. "I think these weapons are enchanted… this baby's shooting magic sparks instead of crossbow bolts. I think the boys swiped it from the Kuno bitch's castle."

"Sweeeeeet…" his companion grinned. "Stupid vampires, always hogging the cool stuff. Hey Zee… you think the boss is gonna let us keep one or two of them?"

"Are you dense?" The goblin called Zee gave the other one a bop on his prominent schnoz. "We're getting loads of money for each of these boxes. And if the delivery isn't complete, the boss is gonna flip!"

"I was just saying…" Grak grumbled, rubbing his nose. "It's such a rip-off that we get to steal all these cool things and we never get to use any of it."

"Stop complaining and let's get this stuff loaded on the truck. YO THOG! Help me with this box, will ya?"

Nabiki started to feel a bit uneasy when she saw the tower of bulging muscles that was Thog the troll. And when she watched him pick up the heavy box of weapons with ease, she felt glad that she was safely hidden.

"Nabiki…" Akane whispered. "If they're moving all the stolen goods away from here… we'll never have a chance to get any of it back, and neither will the police. What do we do?"

"There's not really much we can do," Nabiki muttered. "My job was to sneak in and gather information. I definitely can't reclaim any of the goods… not with this many goblins around. Not to mention the troll…"

"Well, I won't be standing idly by and watch these… rogues steal all these things from Ukyo and the other Nerima merchants." She looked down at the hooded pony. "Um, no offense, sis." She then stood up, took one of her arrows from the quiver and took aim.

"Akane, wait! We can't let them find us…"

"Oh, don't worry," Akane smiled. "I'm not gonna let them catch us." And she shot her arrow directly into the middle of the room."

"Hey, Zee?" Grak asked as the projectile landed directly next to him and got stuck in one of the wooden crates. "What's that?"

Zee came closer and took a look. "It's an arrow, dummy."

"I know that, but what's it doing here?" Grak asked.

Without a warning, the arrow exploded and released a thick cloud of smoke that engulfed the whole area, including Thog and the goblins.

"What? What's happening?" Grak screeched. "Thooog! Stay close to the merchandise!"

The troll grunted, even though he sounded pretty confused.

"There must be intruders," Zee shouted. "Gazzy… go find the boss. The rest of you… spread out and find the trespassers!"

The goblins drew their weapons, while Thog picked up his heavy club. Carefully, they started searching between the crates.

"This is spooky…" Grak muttered. "And I can't see a thing in this confounded smoke… Zim, you got something?"

He heard nothing, except for a dull thud coming from his right.

"What the hell is going on here?" Grak whispered, suddenly afraid. He followed the sound… and almost stumbled over a lifeless goblin body lying on the ground.

"Oh crap…" he gulped. He turned his head and shouted. "Zee! They got Zim! Whoever we're dealing with… they're good."

"Okay, quit panicking and keep your eyes open," Zee shouted back. "Whoever it is, he must be on his own… he can't take us all down… MMMMMPH!" Zee's words ended in a muffled scream.

"ZEE!" Grak yelled. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap… I am sooo out of here! The boss can keep his reward… ack!" He found himself pinned against the floor, held in place by a heavy hunting net. "What? Where… where did this thing come from?"

"That would be mine," a female voice behind him chuckled. "Sorry, but it's nighty-night for you." And then he saw blackness.

One after another, the goblins got picked out and removed from the field. In the end, only Thog the troll remained standing. The smoke started to dissipate after some time, so he was able to see all the unconscious, trapped or even dead goblins lying around.

Thog tightened his grip around his club. While he wasn't very intelligent, he could get angry very quickly with the right motivation. And taking out all of his gang members was a pretty good motivation. He let out a bellowing roar and started smashing boxes.

Fortunately, Akane and Nabiki's current hiding place was at the other side of the warehouse, so they had a moment to breathe until the troll found them. "What now, fearsome ranger?" Nabiki quipped sarcastically. "Your plan worked well against goblins, but do you have something in that bag of tricks of yours against an angry, rampaging troll?"

"Um, to be honest…" Akane sheepishly replied. "I don't. Any ideas?"

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Looks like it's up to me to save the day… watch and learn, sis…"

She jumped out of her hiding place and yelled on top of her lungs: "Hey, wart face! Over here! Come and get me!"

Thog turned around, saw the hood-wearing pony and roared once more as he charged at her, trampling everything that stood in his way.

Nabiki started running as well, directly towards the approaching troll. She ignored Akane's frightened gasp, used her magic to take a small pouch from her belt and telekinetically threw it into his face. Thog gasped and sputtered when the pouch burst apart and released a strange black powder that covered his whole face. He whined in confusion and pain as his eyes started to sting and he was unable to see anything. Nabiki skillfully slid underneath the legs of the blinded troll and watched him run into a pile of boxes that collapsed on top of him. He instantly tried to push them of his back, flailing his huge arms around blindly. Nabiki once again ran at him, dodged his arms, jumped on his back… and drove her daggers into the right spot, right below his neck.

Thog chocked a couple of times, but then his flailing stopped, his arms turned limp and his whole body came crashing down to the floor.

Satisfied with the results of her actions, Nabiki leapt to the ground and sheathed her daggers. "Now that's what I call a job well done," she smiled.

Akane came closer, staring at the troll. "I… I don't believe it… what you did…"

"I know, pretty amazing, right?" Nabiki smirked.

Akane shook her head. "That's not what I'm saying. You KILLED that troll!" She looked around. "And… and some of those goblins, too… How could you do that? Taking a life? That is NOT what dad is teaching at the dojo!" She angrily stood in front of her unicorn sister. "Anything Goes is meant to defend yourself and beat your opponent… not KILL them!"

"Well, then I suppose my techniques are not Anything Goes," Nabiki shrugged. She sighed as she saw the appalled expression on Akane's face. "Oh, give it a rest. Those were just goblins and a troll. You're not seriously going to say their lives were worth a single yen."

"EVERY life is worth something!" Akane shouted. "You know, I honestly wanted to help you because I was worried about you… and then, when I found out that you wanted to help people, I was even happy. I was starting to get hope that you're actually trying to do something better with your life than cheating and swindling others. But THIS…" She once again stared at the dead troll. "This is much worse!"

Nabiki was about to make a snappy remark, but suddenly, the two of them heard the sound of someone clapping.

"Amazing work, girls. Seriously, I never imagined someone would be able to stop my little operation here. And to be honest, I doubt that a regular martial artist would have had the right skills to do the job. But you two really changed since the last time I've met you. Especially you, Nabiki-chan… you've become so much more ruthless." An evil chuckled followed. "I'm proud of you. You may not be a martial artist, but you show so much more promise than Soun or Genma ever did."

And with that, the ringleader of the goblins, the diabolical mastermind behind the robberies and a person both Tendo girls wished they didn't have to see again so soon, stepped into the room.

It was Happosai.

"Y… you?" Nabiki muttered. "It was you?"

"And it was such an ingenious plan, too," the wrinkled master of Anything Goes martial arts snickered. "Kodachi-chan with all her power, money and magic is capable of causing sooo much chaos and confusion for Nerima, again and again… so much that she doesn't even realize that some of the stuff stolen from her wasn't even taken by adventurers. And for the same reason, the merchants in town never expected anyone else but Kodachi to loot and plunder their storerooms and shops. And while they all continued to play their little game, my little goblin friends here stayed hidden. In this business, staying out of sight is a great advantage to have."

He looked over to Nabiki. "A lesson you seem to have taken to heart, Nabiki-chan. You'd make an excellent pupil, I must say. You even took out the competition…" He looked around the lifeless bodies in the warehouse.

"Wait a minute… since when are you a criminal mastermind?" Nabiki frowned. She seemed to have ignored everything he told her. "You enjoy spreading chaos, you're a nuisance and a lecherous imp, and sometimes even downright dangerous… but since when have YOU been interested in stealing wares? Running a gang? And selling the goods for money? That doesn't sound like you at all." She narrowed her eyes. "Tell us what's really going on here."

For a moment, Happosai seemed surprised. Then he grinned. "Very good, Nabiki-chan. Your mind is sharp as ever, my little pony. Of course I'm not doing this for the money. And being the boss of these thugs is just a means to an end. You see, one of the advantages of running a band of thieves is…" He ran over to one of the bigger crates and opened them. "That you can decide what your men are stealing for you."

Akane and Nabiki didn't believe their eyes when they saw the objects spilling out of the crate. White, colored, plain, patterned, frilly, simple, big, small… it was a sight that was synonymous with the ancient martial arts master's depraved mind.

"You're telling me…" Akane said. "That you put together a band of thieves… stole all these goods… and put Kodachi and the townspeople against each other… just so you have a safe way of stealing UNDERWEAR?"

"Yes!" Happosai giggled as he dove into the pile of panties and bras. "I'm such a genius!"

"Yeah, well, we're gonna put an end to this," Akane shouted and raised her bow.

"Um, Akane?" Nabiki asked. "Do you honestly think a novice archer and amateur rogue are able to take on a martial arts master? I mean… even Ranma had his problems with the old lech…"

"I don't know, but I can't let him get away with it either," Akane said.

Happosai chuckled. "Oh, you girls are just too precious. I hate to rough up a pair of cuties like you… especially you, Akane-chan… but if you insist, you leave me no choice. HAPPO DAIKARIN!"

"Aaah! Akane, watch out!" Nabiki shouted as she pushed her sister out of the way. Happosai's deadly firecracker flew past them and exploded, destroying several crates with stolen goods inside.

"What are you doing?" Akane gasped. "That belongs to someone… did you steal it just to blow it up?"

Happosai laughed gleefully. "Who cares about that stuff, I told you it's all about the underwear. You girls should be careful though, if you don't want to be blown up alongside it."

"Not if I can help it," Akane said as she drew a net arrow and took aim… only to see that Happosai was nowhere to be found. "Wh-what? Where did he go?" That's when she felt something touching her backside.

"Mmmmmmm… so soft…" the ancient pervert sighed dreamily as he clung onto Akane's butt cheeks.

The younger Tendo's face turned red with embarrassment and anger as she set aside her ranger skills for a moment and instead summoned her mallet. "Happosai no baka!" She tried pounding him, but he was just too fast for her.

"Hey, Happosai!" Nabiki suddenly shouted. "Catch this!"

Happosai turned around… to see a white cotton bra flying in his direction. "Oooooh, how beautiful…" he sighed as he jumped to embrace the object of his desire…

…only to realize that one of his own firecrackers was wrapped inside the piece of underwear. "Oh no…" he managed to mutter, before it exploded.

As the smoke cleared, the girls saw Happosai, still standing, but his face covered in soot. He coughed a couple of times. "N-nice trick, Nabiki… exactly what I would have done in your position."

"Would you stop comparing yourself to me?" Nabiki asked in annoyance.

"But I'm afraid that's not enough to stop me," Happosai said as he jumped on top of another pile of crates. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle. "Behold! One of the finest results of my robbing spree!" He grinned. "This looks just like a normal bottle of grape juice, wouldn't you say? Yes, that's what I first thought, too… BUT! This actually contains a magical essence that is capable of turning regular humans into fantastic creatures with powers beyond your wildest imagination!" He laughed. "At least that's what that dryad girl and her friends were discussing while I was spying on them. Well then… let's figure out what this stuff can do to an already powerful master like myself. Bottoms up!"

As Happosai uncorked the bottle and drank its entire contents, the Tendo sisters looked at each other.

"Nabiki… isn't that…?" Akane wondered.

Nabiki nodded. "Yup… sure looks like it."

Happosai liked his wrinkly lips as he threw the empty bottle behind him. "Hmmmm, not too bad. A very sweet taste. Grapes, plums and a trace of… peppermint? But enough of the taste, let's see the effects!"

He spread his arms and waited. "Nothing yet…"

He started shrinking in his clothes. His skin turned smoother at the same time. "Still nothing…"

His martial arts clothes transformed as well, forming a pretty, purple dress that wrapped itself around Happosai's slender legs and bulging chest. "Nnnope…" he said in a voice that was much higher than before. "Nothing's happening."

His hair turned from sparse, poofy and white to shoulder-length, luxurious and blonde, while his face turned from wrinkly and horrifying to adorable and cute. "Seriously… why in the world is nothing happening?" she squeaked in frustration.

And finally… a pair of fluttering dragonfly wings sprouted from the new girl's backside and her whole body was surrounded in a spherical aura of purple light. "I don't get it!" the master of Anything Goes martial arts, forest fairy Happy shouted as she bobbed up and down in the air in annoyance. "It was supposed to make me suuuuper powerful! Why did NOTHING happen?"

"Seems like you were tricked by those twerps and their dryad friend, too," Nabiki chuckled. "Those bottles actually do contain only refreshment drinks. Too bad, Happy."

"Sh-shut up!" the martial arts fairy yelled in her high-pitched voice. "I still have my beloved underwear… and this! Happo Daikarin!" She produced another firecracker… which was the size of a cherry… and threw it.

Before it could reach the sisters though, a young girl wearing green clothes jumped up in the air, intercepted the firecracker's path… and sent it flying upwards with a single kick, where it harmlessly exploded in a small puff of smoke.

"That's a baaad fairy!" Cologne scolded as she landed in front of Akane and Nabiki. "No more stealing from your mistress and other people. It's about time you came home."

"Nooooo!" Happy wailed as she recognized the Kokiri girl. "Ko-chan, pleeeeaaaase… I didn't really want to steal anything from you. I didn't know those goblin chumps would target the Nekohanten too… I was only doing it for the underwear. You understand, riiight?" And the fairy dove head-first into the giant pile of panties. "Wonderful underwear…"

With a frown, Cologne picked the fairy up by her wings and pulled her out of the undergarments. "You are one perverted, lesbian fairy. No more leaving your room for several months, young lady! And for that time, you'll have to address me as…" She thought about it. "Mistress Cologne."

"B-but Ko-chan…" Happy pleaded.

"What did I just say?" Cologne glowered.

The fairy winced. "M-mistress Cologne… I didn't do anything wroooong! Those stupid goblins just couldn't follow orders and… and then those Tendo girls blew everything up…"

"I think I've heard enough," Cologne said as she took a small bottle and out the fairy inside. "I'm so sorry about this, girls," she sighed. "A fairy is supposed to watch over her Kokiri, but Happy has been unreasonable for a long time. I had no idea she would actually as go so far and use a gang of thieves to satisfy her twisted desires. I'll keep a closer eye on her from now on."

"You better," Nabiki grumbled. "And just because you jumped in there at the end doesn't change the fact that I still want to be paid my entire fee. This mission was hard to accomplish, even without giant trolls, perverted martial arts fairies and little sisters who decide to join the mission uninvited."

"Hey!" Akane shouted. "I helped, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you're also the one who complained about my methods," the unicorn rogue snapped. "If you hadn't followed me, you wouldn't have found out that I killed some goblins in the first place."

"Just because I don't know about it doesn't change the fact that it's a horrible thing to do!" Akane yelled. "By the way, you would never have been able to deal with the entire goblin gang AND the troll by yourself. You needed my help."

"I would have been able to figure something out. A rogue works best all on her own."

"Oh yeah? Even an amateur rogue?"

Cologne cleared her throat. "Ahem. Pardon the interruption, girls. But I want you to know that I intend on paying you the full price we agreed on, Nabiki-san. You can come by my restaurant any time you're close by… but for now, I need to take this naughty fairy back home." She looked into the bottle, where Happy pounded her little fists against the glass of her prison.

Glass… a fairy's only weakness.

* * *

 _Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

 _The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic._

 _Derpy Hooves and My little Pony belongs to Hasbro._

 _Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics._

 _World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard._

 _The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo._

 _Dungeon Keeper belongs to Bullfrog Productions._

 _Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo._


End file.
